7 ms·

In addition, Elon said that he had already committed in his will to give away most of his fortune to charity. http://i.imgur.com/Mnk7U.jpg http://i.imgur.com/Mn

by Nevaeh 14y ago

In addition, Elon said that he had already committed in his will to give away most of his fortune to charity. http://i.imgur.com/Mnk7U.jpg http://i.imgur.com/Mnk7U.jpg Elon also experienced near-death back in 2000 during a visit to South Africa. He almost died from cerebral malaria. (According to an interview) He tweeted about it here: https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/152394000857448448 https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/152394000857448448

mrkmcknz 14y ago
The great thing about Elon becoming part of the giving pledge is that his wealth could spiral into the kind of numbers we are yet to see individuals accumulate. This guy is taking on gigantic problems and is quickly establishing at the forefront of future tech. I've always been in awe of Elon and quite simply that doesn't seem like changing any day soon.
- mahyarm 14y ago
  Elon is awesome, but the founders of NASA contracting companies, intel, car companies, etc didn't reach bill gates levels of wealth.
  - kunle 14y ago
    >Elon is awesome, but the founders of NASA contracting companies, intel, car companies, etc didn't reach bill gates levels of wealth This might be true. But Elon stands to be the first private citizen with a chance to reach the moon or Mars. The chance is (admittedly) slim, but the expected value of being commercially successful at reaching the moon or Mars is exponentially greater than Microsoft.
    - jmj42 14y ago
      I don't think the change is that slim. Elon is the type of person who knows his limits and pushes them. His goals tend to be grand, but, with effort, achievable. I'd be more surprised if he didn't reach the moon or Mars
    - chc 14y ago
      What is the expected value of a private party reaching Mars? What are they going to get from it?
      - stcredzero 14y ago
        The first individuals to reach North America didn't become ultra-rich. But North America did eventually produce unprecedented new wealth. Zubrin has argued that the colonization of Mars is analogous to North America, and will produce unprecendented wealth. http://www.nss.org/settlement/mars/zubrin-promise.html http://www.nss.org/settlement/mars/zubrin-promise.html
        mohawk 14y ago
        Hate to be a pedant, but the first people who reached North America were massacred by the ones who followed.
        stcredzero 14y ago
        > Hate to be a pedant, but the first people who reached North America were massacred by the ones who followed. No, good point. That one doesn't count as pedantry on your part, but as a d'oh on my part!
      - CamperBob2 14y ago
        Depends on whose logos are on the rocket.
      - kunle 14y ago
        Hard to say. I'm completely speculating but I'm imagining that between the natural resources present there and the possibility of colonizing the planet, there's economic potential. That being said, very difficult to calculate.
  - Retric 14y ago
    Gates's fortune is vast, but there where plenty of people that made far more when you adjust for inflation. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wealthiest_historical_figures http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wealthiest_historical_f... John D. Rockefeller: US$392 billion to US$663.4 billion in adjusted dollars for the late 2000s, and it is estimated that his personal fortune was equal to 1.53% of the total U.S. annual GDP in his day. PS: He was worth a billion dollars in Cornelius Vanderbilt: US$178.4 billion adjusted for the late 2000s; Henry Ford: $188.1 billion; Andrew Carnegie US$75 billion to US$297.8 billion; , Astor has a real wealth estimated at some US$116 billion when adjusted for the late 2000s; John D. Rockefeller
mapleoin 14y ago
In addition, Elon said that he had already committed in his will to give away most of his fortune to charity. Is donating your fortune to charity in your will really altruistic? You're just giving away something you would no longer need, something which you wouldn't be able to use in any way after you're dead. On the other hand, by writing that will now, you get to feel damn good about yourself and also have a lot of people praise you. I think the people volunteering their life and their youth for an NGO and going to work with people in need NOW are the ones who deserve praise, not billionaires who are pledging to helping the poor without risking anything. I wish I could be one of the former, yet our society always encourages and rewards the latter. NB. I'm not arguing against Ellon Musk, I'm arguing against the way you phrased that sentence, and what people are sometimes mislead into viewing as a great deeds. See also Orwell's Burmese days.
- Tloewald 14y ago
  Given that people feel oneness with their offspring and relatives, yes it is altruistic.
- Nate75Sanders 14y ago
  Relatively speaking, it is. He could instead use it to have lots of progeny and make sure they'll be in a great financial position to pass on his genes.
  - JanezStupar 14y ago
    I think hes still doing pretty well on both counts.
- heed 14y ago
  Altruism is definite, absolute. There are degrees of selfishness though. I think donating your fortune upon death is less selfish (or more selfless) than not.
- Nevaeh 14y ago
  First off, I agree with you that the volunteers deserve credit. But this is not a contest of who can get the most praise. Volunteers and researchers need funding in order to operate effectively, and Elon's billions could be extremely helpful if he really does donate most of his fortune to charity upon his death. That sentence was from Elon Musk himself, not mine. So really, you're arguing against Elon Musk. Did you even read the picture I posted? http://i.imgur.com/Mnk7U.jpg http://i.imgur.com/Mnk7U.jpg He goes further on twitter to set the basic premise that it's better to try to address some of the world's problems than to create an aristocracy of wealth. He has donated to charitable organizations like MSF, UNICEF, Peace & Justice, Doctors without Borders, and personally bought presents for kids at the orphanage on Xmas. His established Musk Foundation helps to promote science education, pediatric health and clean energy. All of his companies has the ultimate goal of having a positive effect on the world, whether it's space exploration, solar energy generation, or electric cars. Elon personally said that he worked 80-100 hours a week for 15 years, and at one point invested nearly all of his assets in order to keep Tesla & SpaceX alive back in 2008. Source: http://archive.mensjournal.com/elon-musk%E2%80%99s-risky-business http://archive.mensjournal.com/elon-musk%E2%80%99s-risky-bus... Your claim of Elon being one of those billionaires pledging to help the poor without risking anything is flat out wrong. He risked everything and gave it his all, to the point of waking up in tears during the 2008 economic crash, when he thought all 3 companies would die and his marriage was ruined. He almost had a nervous breakdown. Source: 34:42 mark http://www.bloomberg.com/video/73460184-elon-musk-profiled-bloomberg-risk-takers.html http://www.bloomberg.com/video/73460184-elon-musk-profiled-b...

by Nevaeh 14y ago

mrkmcknz 14y ago

The great thing about Elon becoming part of the giving pledge is that his wealth could spiral into the kind of numbers we are yet to see individuals accumulate. This guy is taking on gigantic problems and is quickly establishing at the forefront of future tech. I've always been in awe of Elon and quite simply that doesn't seem like changing any day soon.

mahyarm 14y ago
Elon is awesome, but the founders of NASA contracting companies, intel, car companies, etc didn't reach bill gates levels of wealth.
- kunle 14y ago
  >Elon is awesome, but the founders of NASA contracting companies, intel, car companies, etc didn't reach bill gates levels of wealth This might be true. But Elon stands to be the first private citizen with a chance to reach the moon or Mars. The chance is (admittedly) slim, but the expected value of being commercially successful at reaching the moon or Mars is exponentially greater than Microsoft.
  - jmj42 14y ago
    I don't think the change is that slim. Elon is the type of person who knows his limits and pushes them. His goals tend to be grand, but, with effort, achievable. I'd be more surprised if he didn't reach the moon or Mars
  - chc 14y ago
    What is the expected value of a private party reaching Mars? What are they going to get from it?
    - stcredzero 14y ago
      The first individuals to reach North America didn't become ultra-rich. But North America did eventually produce unprecedented new wealth. Zubrin has argued that the colonization of Mars is analogous to North America, and will produce unprecendented wealth. http://www.nss.org/settlement/mars/zubrin-promise.html http://www.nss.org/settlement/mars/zubrin-promise.html
      - mohawk 14y ago
        Hate to be a pedant, but the first people who reached North America were massacred by the ones who followed.
        stcredzero 14y ago
        > Hate to be a pedant, but the first people who reached North America were massacred by the ones who followed. No, good point. That one doesn't count as pedantry on your part, but as a d'oh on my part!
    - CamperBob2 14y ago
      Depends on whose logos are on the rocket.
    - kunle 14y ago
      Hard to say. I'm completely speculating but I'm imagining that between the natural resources present there and the possibility of colonizing the planet, there's economic potential. That being said, very difficult to calculate.
- Retric 14y ago
  Gates's fortune is vast, but there where plenty of people that made far more when you adjust for inflation. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wealthiest_historical_figures http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wealthiest_historical_f... John D. Rockefeller: US$392 billion to US$663.4 billion in adjusted dollars for the late 2000s, and it is estimated that his personal fortune was equal to 1.53% of the total U.S. annual GDP in his day. PS: He was worth a billion dollars in Cornelius Vanderbilt: US$178.4 billion adjusted for the late 2000s; Henry Ford: $188.1 billion; Andrew Carnegie US$75 billion to US$297.8 billion; , Astor has a real wealth estimated at some US$116 billion when adjusted for the late 2000s; John D. Rockefeller

mapleoin 14y ago

In addition, Elon said that he had already committed in his will to give away most of his fortune to charity. Is donating your fortune to charity in your will really altruistic? You're just giving away something you would no longer need, something which you wouldn't be able to use in any way after you're dead. On the other hand, by writing that will now, you get to feel damn good about yourself and also have a lot of people praise you. I think the people volunteering their life and their youth for an NGO and going to work with people in need NOW are the ones who deserve praise, not billionaires who are pledging to helping the poor without risking anything. I wish I could be one of the former, yet our society always encourages and rewards the latter. NB. I'm not arguing against Ellon Musk, I'm arguing against the way you phrased that sentence, and what people are sometimes mislead into viewing as a great deeds. See also Orwell's Burmese days.

Tloewald 14y ago
Given that people feel oneness with their offspring and relatives, yes it is altruistic.
Nate75Sanders 14y ago
Relatively speaking, it is. He could instead use it to have lots of progeny and make sure they'll be in a great financial position to pass on his genes.
- JanezStupar 14y ago
  I think hes still doing pretty well on both counts.
heed 14y ago
Altruism is definite, absolute. There are degrees of selfishness though. I think donating your fortune upon death is less selfish (or more selfless) than not.
Nevaeh 14y ago
First off, I agree with you that the volunteers deserve credit. But this is not a contest of who can get the most praise. Volunteers and researchers need funding in order to operate effectively, and Elon's billions could be extremely helpful if he really does donate most of his fortune to charity upon his death. That sentence was from Elon Musk himself, not mine. So really, you're arguing against Elon Musk. Did you even read the picture I posted? http://i.imgur.com/Mnk7U.jpg http://i.imgur.com/Mnk7U.jpg He goes further on twitter to set the basic premise that it's better to try to address some of the world's problems than to create an aristocracy of wealth. He has donated to charitable organizations like MSF, UNICEF, Peace & Justice, Doctors without Borders, and personally bought presents for kids at the orphanage on Xmas. His established Musk Foundation helps to promote science education, pediatric health and clean energy. All of his companies has the ultimate goal of having a positive effect on the world, whether it's space exploration, solar energy generation, or electric cars. Elon personally said that he worked 80-100 hours a week for 15 years, and at one point invested nearly all of his assets in order to keep Tesla & SpaceX alive back in 2008. Source: http://archive.mensjournal.com/elon-musk%E2%80%99s-risky-business http://archive.mensjournal.com/elon-musk%E2%80%99s-risky-bus... Your claim of Elon being one of those billionaires pledging to help the poor without risking anything is flat out wrong. He risked everything and gave it his all, to the point of waking up in tears during the 2008 economic crash, when he thought all 3 companies would die and his marriage was ruined. He almost had a nervous breakdown. Source: 34:42 mark http://www.bloomberg.com/video/73460184-elon-musk-profiled-bloomberg-risk-takers.html http://www.bloomberg.com/video/73460184-elon-musk-profiled-b...