"The value of money will vanish..." Why did the world's first trillionaire, Elon Musk, say this?

Trillionaire Elon Musk: Elon Musk, who has become the first trillionaire in history, states that money will hold no value in the future. Human currencies will be irrelevant to AI systems.

Trillionaire Elon Musk: American businessman Elon Musk has become the world's first trillionaire. Following the IPO of his company, SpaceX, his net worth has reached $1.1 trillion. Prior to the IPO, Forbes had estimated his wealth at around $780 billion; now, it exceeds the total wealth of many nations. While the world tallies his fortune, Musk believes that money will lose its value in the future. Speaking at a recent event, he remarked that the significance of money would disappear in the times to come.

What does Musk think about the future of money?

Speaking at the 2026 Abundance Summit, Musk stated that the future belongs to AI and robots. Machines will become so productive that traditional concepts regarding work, income, and money will undergo a complete transformation. We will experience "universal high income." AI and robots will perform so much work and provide so many services that there will be an abundance for humanity. Consequently, a time will come when money loses its significance.

What is the implication of Musk's statement?

Essentially, Musk believes that machines will produce such a vast quantity of goods and services that items will become extremely cheap and easily accessible. Even expensive necessities like healthcare and housing will become affordable. When asked what would hold value if money were no longer necessary, Musk replied that AI systems do not require human currencies like the dollar; instead, they will operate based on metrics like power, wattage, and tonnage.

Working Will Become Optional – Musk

Musk has previously stated that, in the future, humans will no longer need to work. Robots will be able to handle all tasks, leaving humans free to grow vegetables merely as a hobby. It is worth noting that Musk is highly optimistic about robotics; his company, Tesla, is currently developing a humanoid robot named Optimus. The company has set a target to deploy one million robots by 2030.

First Person in History to Become a Trillionaire

Elon Musk is the first person to become a trillionaire. No individual in history has ever possessed such vast wealth. The largest portion of his wealth stems from his stake in SpaceX, valued at approximately $866 billion. Additionally, he holds significant stakes in Tesla, X (formerly Twitter), Neuralink, and The Boring Company.