Daron Acemoglu, a Nobel Prize-winning economist, challenged Elon Musk to use his wealth to benefit everyone. Musk, who is currently the world’s richest person, recently said that money could become irrelevant in the next ten years.
Acemoglu tweeted that Musk would have «an opportunity to put your money where your mouth is.» The tweet had 2.4 million views at the time.
«If money won’t matter in 2036, why don’t you pledge to donate your current wealth of approximately $1 trillion to charity no later than 2036. This would establish with great credibility your belief in the powers of AI and technology,» the economist asserted.
A proposed pledge for Elon Musk.
— Daron Acemoglu (@DAcemogluMIT) July 27, 2026
An opportunity to put your money where your mouth is. If money won’t matter in 2036, why don’t you pledge to donate your current wealth of approximately $1 trillion to charity no later than 2036. This would establish with great credibility your…
Musk surprised many by replying to Acemoglu, saying, “I am actually going to do something along these lines!” This was unexpected, as Musk has not usually supported philanthropy, making his response a big change from his earlier comments.
What Musk has said about money
Last week, Musk told The Economist’s editor-in-chief, Zanny Minton Beddoes, that «money won’t matter in 2036» if AI and robotics make goods and services extremely abundant.
“You want money for goods and services… If robots and AI are providing more goods and services than any human could possibly consume, what do you need money for?” Musk speculated.
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