Elon Musk is the world's richest person with a wealth of over $485 billion, according to Forbes Billionaires List. In 2012, the tech billionaire signed onto the Giving Pledge , an initiative co-founded by Microsoft founder Bill Gates and Warren Buffet. As part of the pledge, the world’s wealthiest individuals commit to donate at least half of their fortunes to charity. Recently, PayPal founder and billionaire investor Peter Thiel revealed that he once advised Elon Musk to step away from the Giving Pledge.
According to transcripts and audio recordings of a lecture series reviewed by Reuters, Thiel said he recently told Musk that signing the pledge could mean his fortune would end up with “left-leaning nonprofits” selected by Bill Gates. During the interaction, the German-American entrepreneur also shared concerns about global power structures. He warned of the possibility of an authoritarian figure — which he described as an “Antichrist” — gaining control under the guise of solving global threats such as nuclear war, artificial intelligence, or climate change.
‘Nothing will be worse than giving your wealth to Bill Gates’
When Thiel advised Musk to not donate his wealth, Musk responded by saying “What am I supposed to do—give it to my children?”. To this, Theil replied “You know, it would be much worse to give it to Bill Gates.”
During the lecture, Thiel argued that billionaires should think more critically about the fate of their fortunes after death. Using actuarial tables, he said that the probability of Musk’s death within a year would translate into Gates receiving billions through philanthropic commitments. Thiel suggested this scenario highlighted the risks of allowing wealth to be directed by others through pledges like Gates’s initiative.
Notably, Elon Musk has signed the pledge in 2012, but he has not specified in detail how his wealth would be distributed.
According to transcripts and audio recordings of a lecture series reviewed by Reuters, Thiel said he recently told Musk that signing the pledge could mean his fortune would end up with “left-leaning nonprofits” selected by Bill Gates. During the interaction, the German-American entrepreneur also shared concerns about global power structures. He warned of the possibility of an authoritarian figure — which he described as an “Antichrist” — gaining control under the guise of solving global threats such as nuclear war, artificial intelligence, or climate change.
‘Nothing will be worse than giving your wealth to Bill Gates’
When Thiel advised Musk to not donate his wealth, Musk responded by saying “What am I supposed to do—give it to my children?”. To this, Theil replied “You know, it would be much worse to give it to Bill Gates.”
During the lecture, Thiel argued that billionaires should think more critically about the fate of their fortunes after death. Using actuarial tables, he said that the probability of Musk’s death within a year would translate into Gates receiving billions through philanthropic commitments. Thiel suggested this scenario highlighted the risks of allowing wealth to be directed by others through pledges like Gates’s initiative.
Notably, Elon Musk has signed the pledge in 2012, but he has not specified in detail how his wealth would be distributed.
You may also like
BB 19: Gauahar Khan lauds Gaurav Khanna for his loyalty towards his group
Disha Parmar keeps Karwa Chauth fast for husband Rahul Vaidya despite a high-grade fever
Varun Badola says it would be foolish not to listen to his National Award-winning actress wife, Rajeshwari Sachdev
SBI processes 2.25 lakh digital loans worth Rs 74,434 crore under 'SME Digital Business Loans' scheme
Historic Redlands Building razed in Shillong; triggers outrage in Manipur, Meghalaya
