Elon Musk Could Soon Become a Trillionaire: What’s His Next Move?
Written by
Jordan Rosenfeld
Edited by
Molly Sullivan
Commitment to Our Readers
GOBankingRates' editorial team is committed to bringing you unbiased reviews and information. We use data-driven methodologies to evaluate financial products and services - our reviews and ratings are not influenced by advertisers. You can read more about our editorial guidelines and our products and services review methodology.
20 Years
Helping You Live Richer
Reviewed
by Experts
Trusted by
Millions of Readers
If you think billionaires are wealthy beyond imagination, try to wrap your head around the concept of a trillionaire. Elon Musk, the Tesla and SpaceX CEO, is back in the No. 1 spot as the world’s richest person, according to Forbes as of Sept. 11, 2024. Although his net worth of more than $250 billion may sound like a far way off from $1 trillion, according to a company that tracks and predicts “trillion dollar companies,” Tesla could put Musk’s net worth over the trillion-dollar mark by 2027, making him personally richer than some entire countries.
Peter Murphy Lewis, head of growth at WebStreet, believes that Musk’s next moves “will likely push the boundaries of technology, philosophy, and even reality.”
While Arthur Favier, the founder and CEO of Oppizi, said that trying to figure out what Musk will do next is “like trying to guess what a magician will pull out of their hat next. He’s always thinking big, doing things that no one else even tries.”
These two experts weighed in on what Musk might do with these potential trillions.
Proving or Creating the Simulation
Musk has famously said there’s a strong possibility that we’re living in a simulation, Lewis pointed out.
“With his resources growing, it’s not farfetched to imagine him taking on simulation theory as a serious project.”
Lewis imagines Musk creating the world’s first simulated universe, “An advanced virtual world indistinguishable from reality, powered by breakthroughs in quantum computing and neural interfaces.”
Such a venture could explore the philosophical and technological implications of a simulation, not just to “prove” the theory but perhaps even to build a universe from scratch, he suggested.
The evidence for this, Lewis said, comes from Musk’s involvement with Neuralink and his interest in AI, both of which also give him the tools to explore both virtual reality and the brain-computer interface.
“If anyone is poised to dive into the intersection of technology and reality, it’s him.”
The Blockchain-Based Nation
Musk’s past statements about cryptocurrency and decentralization suggest he has an interest in disrupting traditional financial systems and governance structures, Lewis said. Additionally, Musk has been one of cryptocurrencies’ earliest proponents, and Lewis suggested the billionaire could spearhead the development of a blockchain-based nation, “a decentralized digital society governed by smart contracts and collective decision-making.”
In this vision of reality, Lewis theorized, “Citizens could participate through a digital currency system — think a next-gen version of Bitcoin — and governance would be transparent and immune to corruption, with AI and blockchain working hand-in-hand to automate the rule of law. This would be a futuristic, tech-driven utopia that could start virtually and expand into real-world communities.”
Geo-engineering the Planet
In addition to his focus on sustainability through Tesla’s electric vehicles and batteries, and SpaceX’s reusable rockets, Musk has hinted at taking on the challenge of climate control through geo-engineering.
“This could involve projects like atmospheric carbon capture at scale, artificially cooling the planet, or even controlling weather systems to prevent climate disasters,” Lewis said.
Furthermore, with his increased wealth, Lewis said Musk could shift from small-scale interventions like electric vehicles to large-scale, planetary-level engineering projects aimed at safeguarding humanity’s future.
“This would align with his larger mission to ensure the survival of human civilization.”
Floating, Autonomous Ocean Cities
While Musk is already exploring underground cities with The Boring Company, and has expressed interest in alternate ways of living such as colonizing Mars, Lewis could see Musk developing floating, autonomous cities on the ocean. These cities could be powered entirely by renewable energy, with self-sustaining ecosystems that can operate independently of existing nations.
“The cities would be hubs for AI development, clean energy research and space exploration, attracting the world’s brightest minds,” Lewis said. “They’d also serve as a testbed for sustainable living technologies that could later be deployed on Mars or other planets.”
The Human-AI Hybrid
Perhaps the most futuristic move Musk might make is pushing his existing work at Neuralink, exploring the boundaries of brain-machine interfaces, a step further.
Lewis can imagine Musk launching a project to create a global neural network, where human brains are connected through AI to form a collective intelligence.
“This human-AI hybrid could allow people to share thoughts and ideas instantly, revolutionizing communication and collaboration. Essentially, it would be a global mind that could solve complex problems far faster than individual human brains can.”
Safeguarding AI
On the other hand, Favier said that Musk has expressed concerns about the dangers of AI.
“He’s been very vocal about creating safe and ethical AI systems, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he invests heavily in building AI that won’t turn against us.”
With AI becoming a bigger part of our lives, Favier believes Musk wants to make sure it’s used for good, not harm.
“Plus, being a leader in this area would be great for business.”
The Space Race
Favier said it’s clear based on Musk’s commitment to SpaceX and his efforts toward Mars colonization that he wants humans to live on, or at least travel to, other planets and space itself.
“He’s not just playing around when it comes to space travel. SpaceX is already building starships, and I think Musk will keep pushing until regular people can book trips to space, just like we book flights to other cities.”
Favier said that given Musk’s success with Tesla, he believes he’s capable of making space travel a reality.
Reinventing Industries
Whatever Musk does next, Favier believes he’ll go beyond just inventing cool things but do what he already has a tendency to do: changing entire industries.
“Whether it’s electric cars, clean energy or space exploration, he always seems to know where the world is heading. And with the amount of money he’s likely to have, he’ll have even more power to make these big ideas come to life,” Favier said.
Only time will tell.
More From GOBankingRates
