A quadrillion for Musk: $998.9 trillion is not enough, but factories on the Moon and Mars will solve everything
Elon Musk seriously considers the status of a quadrillionaire as "quite realistic." For now, he is short about $998.9 trillion from the coveted figure, but the billionaire sees no problem with that. In his opinion, accumulating such sums within the Earth's economy is impossible — fundamentally new scales of production are needed.
Space Factories as a New Asset
Musk directly stated: "It's real, but for that, you definitely need factories on the Moon and Mars." Thus, he outlined the upper limit of wealth creation on a single planet. According to his logic, traditional "Earthly" assets will not allow achieving such a level of capitalization. This is not just about business expansion, but about colonization and industrial development of other worlds.
Moreover, the entrepreneur suggested that by that time, the very concept of money will change radically. "By then, I think dollars won't be the currency anymore. Only mass and energy," he emphasized. This statement echoes his long-standing ideas about a future where value will be measured not by fiat units, but by physical resources and energy.
SpaceX as the Engine of a New Economy
All these reflections come against the backdrop of SpaceX's rapid growth. The company held a record IPO with a valuation of $2 trillion on the Nasdaq, albeit briefly entering the top six most valuable companies in the U.S. Musk previously predicted that by 2030, SpaceX's revenue could reach $1 trillion, although in 2025 the company expects to earn only $18.7 billion. The gap is colossal, but it only underscores the ambitiousness of the plans.
SpaceX's contract already stipulates that Musk will receive 200 million shares with enhanced voting rights if a permanent colony of at least one million people emerges on Mars. The first crew for a flight around Mars has already been formed, and it includes, incidentally, one of the crypto-billionaires.
Musk did not miss the opportunity to joke that he will finally get that "volcanic lair" he has repeatedly mentioned with a smile in public. Presenting the boldest ideas through references to science fiction is his signature style.
Cryptalist's Opinion: Musk's idea of "mass and energy" as a new currency is not just a futuristic fantasy. It is a logical continuation of the trend of decentralization and tokenization of real assets. If humanity truly reaches the scale of an interplanetary economy, then traditional fiat systems tied to the GDP of a single planet will simply collapse under their own weight. Cryptocurrencies and their derivatives may well become that bridge to a new system of settlement, where value will be determined not by printed banknotes, but by real energy and resources.