I Asked ChatGPT If Donald Trump or Elon Musk Was Better at Building Wealth: Here’s What It Said
Written by
Brooke Barley
Edited by
Jenna Klaverweiden
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The world’s richest man, Elon Musk, and President Donald Trump (the world’s 760th richest man, according to Forbes) are both billionaires. Fans of the two often laud their abilities to make a lot of money quickly. Though Musk is richer than Trump, the two have different methods of building their wealth.
Depending on the person, one might prove more effective than the other. Here’s what ChatGPT had to say about whose method is better.
The Two Used Different Mediums
ChatGPT pointed out that Trump and Musk explored different ways to make money. For Trump, he made his fortune primarily through real estate, branding and licensing. One of Trump’s biggest moneymakers in real estate was Trump Tower, where ChatGPT said he’s made a significant amount of money from condo sales and commercial leases. He also bought 40 Wall Street and renovated it, making money from leasing it for office space. These are just a few of Trump’s lucrative real estate deals.
On the flip side, Musk got rich from technology, high-growth companies and equity appreciation. Musk reportedly made $22 million from selling his first company, Zip2. He was also one of the creators of PayPal, which would sell to eBay for $1.5 billion. Among other ventures, he’s best known today for being the CEO of Tesla, which has made him the bulk of his money.
Convention vs. Innovation: Which Is Better?
When comparing strategies between the two men, ChatGPT described Trump’s method of using real estate to generate income as stable and traditional. “It creates cash flow and relies on hard assets, so you’re less at the mercy of stock market swings — but you won’t become the richest person alive unless you scale it with huge debt or licensing deals,” it said.
Conversely, ChatGPT described Musk’s strategy as better for exponential growth. In plain terms: Musk’s way is going to make more money than Trump’s. “Tech’s upside dwarfs what real estate can do: Tesla and SpaceX have created trillions in market value. It’s riskier but the payoff is enormous if you pull it off,” ChatGPT wrote.
Advice for Everyday Investors
For those looking to build wealth like Trump and Musk, ChatGPT suggested incorporating both strategies to get the most bang for your buck.
“Have steady assets like real estate or dividend stocks for income and invest in innovative companies for big upside. Be mindful of risk — Musk’s approach is thrilling but high stakes. Trump’s is slower but more predictable,” it explained.
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