Elon Musk to Donate His Wealth Before 2036? Tesla CEO Says He Might After Nobel Prize Winner's Challenge
Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. Space Exploration Technologies Corp. and Tesla Inc. CEO Elon Musk has, on multiple occasions, said that the advent of artificial intelligence (AI) and robots would render money useless in the future. Now, Musk has hinted he could donate his fortune after a Nobel Prize winner asked him to back up his beliefs. Daron Acemoglu Challenges Elon Musk On Monday, Daron Acemoglu, an economist and a recipient of the 2024 Nobel Prize in Economics, shared a video that contained an excerpt of Musk's interview with The Economist. "Money won't matter in 2036," Musk can be seen saying in the interview. Don't Miss: Acemoglu proposed a "pledge" for Musk in his post on X, saying that it was an opportunity for Musk to put his money where his 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," he said. He also said that the move would help establish credibility for AI and "assuage many people around the world who are worried about the political and social influence of billionaires and trillionaires." A proposed pledge for Elon Musk.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… — Daron Acemoglu (@DAcemogluMIT) July 27, 2026 Trending: Avoid the #1 Investing Mistake: How Your 'Safe' Holdings Could Be Costing You Big Time Acemoglu's post was also quoted by the former International Monetary Fund deputy director Gita Gopinath. "If money does not matter in 2036 he may not have a trillion to give away. That then begs the question: why is it worth a trillion today?" Gopinath said in her post. If money does not matter in 2036 he may not have a trillion to give away. That then begs the question: why is it worth a trillion today? https://t.co/mQujK4sWjO — Gita Gopinath (@GitaGopinath) July 28, 2026 Notably, Musk's fortune dropped below $1 trillion and currently stands at around $709 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Musk's fortune declined following downward trends in both SpaceX and Tesla shares. Elon Musk Drops Philanthropy Hint Acemoglu's post was quoted by author Gad Saad, which prompted a response from Musk. "I am actually going to do something along these lines!" The Tesla CEO said in his reply. I am actually going to do something along these lines! — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 27, 2026 See Also: Skip the Regrets: The Essential Retirement Tips Experts Wish Everyone Knew Earlier. Elon Musk Bullish on AI? The billionaire, during an appearance at a summit earlier this year, predicted that AI and humanoid robots would become so productive that scarcity would disappear. He has also said that AI would enable a universal high income for people. However, Musk has received criticism from economists and leaders for his comments. Economist Sanjeev Sanyal who rejected his claims back in April this year, saying that the advent of AI was certain to cause job losses and that the technology would not deter inflation. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) also criticized Musk's comments about universal income, saying that how will the government issue money to people because of increased productivity when Musk cannot support a wealth tax on his multi-billion-dollar fortune. Photo courtesy: Shutterstock Read Next: Think you're saving enough for your kids? You might be dangerously off — see why Building Wealth Across More Than Just the Market Building a resilient portfolio means thinking beyond a single asset or market trend. Economic cycles shift, sectors rise and fall, and no one investment performs well in every environment. That's why many investors look to diversify with platforms that provide access to real estate, fixed-income opportunities, precious metals, and even self-directed retirement accounts. By spreading exposure across multiple asset classes, it becomes easier to manage risk, capture steady returns, and create long-term wealth that isn't tied to the fortunes of just one company or industry. Arrived Backed by Jeff Bezos, Arrived Homes makes real estate investing accessible with a low barrier to entry. Investors can buy fractional shares of single-family rentals and vacation homes starting with as little as $100. This allows everyday investors to diversify into real estate, collect rental income, and build long-term wealth without needing to manage properties directly. Realberry Institutional-quality real estate has traditionally been difficult for individual investors to access. Realberry gives accredited investors direct access to private real estate opportunities backed by a team with 35 years of experience, $3.4 billion in assets under management, and $481 million in cumulative distributions paid to investors as of Q4 2025, according to the company. With a portfolio spanning 13 million square feet across seven U.S. states, Realberry focuses on acquiring, developing, and managing real estate with an emphasis on long-term value creation while its principals often invest alongside clients to help align interests. FarmTogether Farmland has historically held its value through market volatility and delivered returns uncorrelated to stocks and bonds. For accredited investors, FarmTogether offers direct access to high-quality U.S. farmland starting at $15,000 — fully managed, with no landlord headaches. Immersed Immersed is building technology for the future of work through spatial computing. Known for its AR/VR productivity platform that enables users to work across multiple virtual screens, the company has grown to more than 1.5 million users worldwide. Immersed is also developing Visor, a lightweight headset designed specifically for professional productivity, positioning the company at the intersection of remote work, extended reality (XR), and next-generation computing. Fundrise Private real estate and private credit can add income and stability to a stock-heavy portfolio. Fundrise offers access to diversified private real estate and credit strategies through an easy-to-use platform, with professionally managed portfolios designed to generate passive income and long-term growth. Mode Mobile Mode Mobile is changing the way people interact with their phones by letting users earn money from the same apps and activities they already use every day. Instead of platforms keeping all the advertising revenue, Mode Mobile shares a portion back with users who engage with content, play games, and scroll on their devices. Named one of Deloitte's fastest-growing software companies in North America, the company has built a large beta user base and is scaling a model that turns everyday smartphone usage into a potential income stream. EquityMultiple For accredited investors looking beyond stocks and bonds, EquityMultiple provides access to vetted commercial real estate deals starting at $5,000, with only ~5% of opportunities passing their due diligence process. © 2026 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
