Musk responded positively to the economist’s call for a charity pledge, but he has not set out a timeline, amount or mechanism as his net worth and SpaceX shares decline.
Elon Musk said he is “actually going to do something along these lines” after Nobel Prize-winning economist Daron Acemoglu urged him on X to commit his fortune to charity by 2036 as a test of Musk’s claim that robots and artificial intelligence could make goods so abundant that money loses significance. Acemoglu said such a pledge would also help address concerns about the political influence of billionaires and trillionaires and proposed that an impartial body select effective, non-ideological charities. Musk has not provided a timeline, dollar figure or charitable vehicle, leaving the scope of any pledge unclear. The exchange came as his wealth weakened alongside SpaceX shares. Forbes said his net worth fell to $695.7 billion on July 27 after SpaceX shares dropped 4.8% to about $109.50, roughly 50% below their June 16 peak, while its real-time tracker later showed his fortune at $715.6 billion on Tuesday, down 1.32%, or $9.5 billion, on the day. Musk recently referred to himself as a former trillionaire after falling below that level, which he had first reached following SpaceX’s record Nasdaq debut in June. The episode adds scrutiny to Musk’s AI forecasts and to whether he will formalize any giving commitment. It also comes against a backdrop of past criticism of Musk’s philanthropy, including his skepticism about traditional charitable giving and reporting that much of his prior donations aligned with projects connected to his business interests. Analysts are also watching an August share lockup for SpaceX, which could add pressure to the stock even as some see room for a rebound.