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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.

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

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