There are already people who question the existence of billionaires, they ask whether such wealth and worth ought to be concentrated in the hands and various bank accounts of one individual.
Planet Earth getting its first trillionaire would probably give them an aneurysm, perhaps doubly so given the identity of the man predicted to be first to that milestone.
There are already businesses which are valued at more than a trillion dollars, and at present, according to the Bloomberg Billionaire's Index, the net worth of Musk is hovering somewhere around a quarter of that.
So how's he going to quadruple his net worth and become a billionaire by the time it's 2027?
Is it good to have trillionaires? (Apu Gomes/Getty Images)According to research from Informa Connect Academy, Musk's net worth is growing at a rate of 109.88 percent meaning it's more than doubling year on year.
If that rate bears out for the next few years then it won't be long at all before Musk passes the trillion dollar milestone.
He has his fingers in various pies including space, social media (much to the chagrin of many) and electric cars of varying notoriety.
Another recent development is his Neuralink brain implant, which is allowing people to control computers just by thinking.
A quadriplegic man who was fitted with one of the devices demonstrated that he could use it to play chess, and admitted that he stayed up until the early hours of the morning playing video games.
Elon Musk's net worth is reportedly growing at a rate of 109.88 percent (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)The report reckons that if Musk does become a trillionaire in net worth by the time they predict then he won't have long to wait before someone else joins him in that club.
They reckon that Indian businessman Gautam Adani's net worth is growing at a rate of 122.86 percent per year, meaning he'd be a trillionaire by 2028.
Of course there's go guarantee that an individual's net worth will continue to keep climbing, especially if they do things which might not bode well for their reputation.
Musk was recently named in a complaint filed by Olympic gold medal winning boxer Imane Khelif after she was subjected to abuse and harassment during the Paris 2024 Games.
Her attorney confirmed that both Musk and J.K. Rowling were named in a complaint filed with the Paris Prosecutor’s Office citing alleged 'acts of cyber-harassment'.
In France, cyberbullying can result in fines or even prison sentences.Featured Image Credit: Apu Gomes/Getty Images/Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Updated 07:43 21 Mar 2024 GMTPublished 07:30 21 Mar 2024 GMT
Footage shows Elon Musk’s first brain chip patient playing chess just by ‘thinking’
Noland Arbaugh played chess on a computer using Neuralink
Elon Musk has shared a nine minute livestream of someone using his Neuralink brain chip to play chess on a computer.
This comes just a couple of months after Neuralink announced they'd successfully implanted a brain chip into a human for the first time.
Musk said the first feature of the brain chip being trialled was 'telepathy', with the idea that the Neuralink patient could control a device just by thinking.
It appears as though those tests are going well as in a livestream posted to X, formerly Twitter, a man named Noland Arbaugh used his mind to control a computer cursor and play chess.
Arbaugh, 29, is a quadriplegic who was paralysed from the neck down after a diving accident and had a Neuralink chip implanted into his body in January.
In the livestream he was able to play chess with just his mind, saying he'd played the game since his accident by using his mouth but it didn't compare to using his brain power.
As the footage showed he was able to move pieces around on a game of chess on his computer.
He also said he'd been able to put in an eight hour stint of the grand strategy game Civilization VI, which fans of that franchise will know is a light session.
Noland proudly declared that he'd played the game for hours and said 'y'all gave me the ability to do that again' after be believed he'd never get the chance to play it following his accident.
The only impediment he was finding to his Civilization sessions was having to wait for the Neuralink implant to charge after using it for hours.
As the footage showed he was able to move pieces around on a game of chess on his computer.
He also said he'd been able to put in an eight hour stint of the grand strategy game Civilization VI, which fans of that franchise will know is a light session.
Noland proudly declared that he'd played the game for hours and said 'y'all gave me the ability to do that again' after be believed he'd never get the chance to play it following his accident.
The only impediment he was finding to his Civilization sessions was having to wait for the Neuralink implant to charge after using it for hours.
It seems as though after using it for eight hours straight the brain chip needs a bit of time to be recharged.
"It's been awesome, it's been so cool and I'm kicking ass too," he said of getting to give the brain chip a go.
He also said he had 'no cognitive impairments' from the surgery as the Neuralink engineer on the livestream admitted Noland had beaten him almost every time they'd played chess.
While this all sounds like the future is now, Arbaugh did say they'd 'run into some issues' that are currently being looked into, but overall he seemed pretty chuffed about being able to do something which was 'basically like using the force on a cursor'.
Updated 17:31 17 Mar 2024 GMTPublished 17:30 17 Mar 2024 GMT
Elon Musk predicts when AI will become superior to human intelligence
He's taken a futuristic stance on AI
Tech titan Elon Musk has doubled-down on his prediction for when artificial intelligence will become smarter than humans.
Job displacement, economic inequality and nuclear automatisation are just a few of the big concerns with AI, especially when it knows more than us.
Amid fears of I, Robot happening in real life, the SpaceX founder has already shared an unnerving video of Tesla's latest robotic creation which will eventually cost ‘less than a car’.
The robot, called Optimus, was unveiled three years ago at Tesla’s AI Day, and was seen 'strolling around' Musk's lab.
The Tesla Optimus account shared the original video and wrote: "Getting my daily steps in."
"I saw a movie about this once. In the movie, it didn’t bode well for humans," one user commented.
As another added: "Bro tryna recreate the terminator."
Someone else joked: "Optimus not in his prime."
"Wow, unreal. Things are improving so fast," a fourth penned.
Despite the humanoid robot moving rather human-like, it’s nowhere near as unnerving as Boston Dynamics’ robot Atlas, which is capable of running, jumping, standing on one leg, performing backflips, and much more.
Getty stock photo
Atlas has 28 hydraulic joints, and while people were excited about the developments, most were absolutely terrified about its abilities.
In comparison to Optimus, it’s clear to see that the machine is very advanced.
According to the Tesla CEO, his goal is to make the robot as useful and as quickly as possible.
Taking all of that into consideration Musk has revealed when he thinks AI will be smarter than humans.
"AI will probably be smarter than any single human next year," he wrote on X.
"By 2029, AI will probably be smarter than all humans combined."
And that date has been backed up by renowned futurist Ray Kurzweil.
He told Joe Rogan: "We're not quite there, but we will be there, and by 2029 it will match any person.
Atlas has 28 hydraulic joints, and while people were excited about the developments, most were absolutely terrified about its abilities.
In comparison to Optimus, it’s clear to see that the machine is very advanced.
According to the Tesla CEO, his goal is to make the robot as useful and as quickly as possible.
Taking all of that into consideration Musk has revealed when he thinks AI will be smarter than humans.
"AI will probably be smarter than any single human next year," he wrote on X.
"By 2029, AI will probably be smarter than all humans combined."
And that date has been backed up by renowned futurist Ray Kurzweil.
He told Joe Rogan: "We're not quite there, but we will be there, and by 2029 it will match any person.
STR/NurPhoto via Getty Images
"I'm actually considered conservative. People think that will happen next year or the year after.
"I actually said that in 1999. I said we would match any person by 2029. So for 30 years, people thought that was totally crazy.
"In fact, Stanford had a conference that invited several hundred people from around the world to talk about my prediction, and people thought that this would happen, but not by 2029.
"They thought it would take 100 years."Featured Image Credit: STR/NurPhoto via Getty Images/Getty Stock Images
Published 08:41 19 Sep 2023 GMT+1
Elon Musk says X is 'moving to having a small monthly payment for use'
The owner of the social media platform hopes to tackle bots by introducing the charge
Elon Musk has said X - formerly known as Twitter - is moving to a monthly payment format for use of the platform.
In this week's instalment of 'how Elon Musk is changing Twitter' - sorry, 'X' - the SpaceX CEO has confirmed a monthly payment will be introduced as he continues to try and tackle bots on the site.
Musk announced the news in a livestreamed conversation with Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, on Monday (18 September), after already having made people pay for blue ticks, changed the name of the platform and limiting the number of posts free users can see each day.
"I'm actually considered conservative. People think that will happen next year or the year after.
"I actually said that in 1999. I said we would match any person by 2029. So for 30 years, people thought that was totally crazy.
"In fact, Stanford had a conference that invited several hundred people from around the world to talk about my prediction, and people thought that this would happen, but not by 2029.
"They thought it would take 100 years."Featured Image Credit: STR/NurPhoto via Getty Images/Getty Stock Images
Published 08:41 19 Sep 2023 GMT+1
Elon Musk says X is 'moving to having a small monthly payment for use'
The owner of the social media platform hopes to tackle bots by introducing the charge
Elon Musk has said X - formerly known as Twitter - is moving to a monthly payment format for use of the platform.
In this week's instalment of 'how Elon Musk is changing Twitter' - sorry, 'X' - the SpaceX CEO has confirmed a monthly payment will be introduced as he continues to try and tackle bots on the site.
Musk announced the news in a livestreamed conversation with Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, on Monday (18 September), after already having made people pay for blue ticks, changed the name of the platform and limiting the number of posts free users can see each day.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
The billionaire told Netanyahu that X now has 550 million 'monthly users', all of who help to generate 100 million to 200 million posts per day on the platform.
Musk did not state how many of these users are authentic, as opposed to bots, but he did admit there were 'vast armies' of the fake accounts on the platform.
The admission formed part of the conversation which was intended to focus on theoretical risks of artificial intelligence technology, and how AI should potentially be regulated.
In an effort to combat the bots, Musk told Netanyahu that the social network is 'moving to having a small monthly payment for use of the X system'.
The billionaire told Netanyahu that X now has 550 million 'monthly users', all of who help to generate 100 million to 200 million posts per day on the platform.
Musk did not state how many of these users are authentic, as opposed to bots, but he did admit there were 'vast armies' of the fake accounts on the platform.
The admission formed part of the conversation which was intended to focus on theoretical risks of artificial intelligence technology, and how AI should potentially be regulated.
In an effort to combat the bots, Musk told Netanyahu that the social network is 'moving to having a small monthly payment for use of the X system'.
Sheldon Cooper/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
X users can currently pay a monthly fee of £9.60 or $8 to subscribe to the platform's premium Blue service, but Musk said the new system will introduce a 'lower tier pricing'.
“It’s the only way I can think of to combat vast armies of bots,” he said.
“Because a bot costs a fraction of a penny – call it a tenth of a penny – but even if it has to pay a few dollars or something, the effective cost of bots is very high."
It's unclear exactly how much the new lower 'monthly payment' will be, or whether features will be included or excluded for users paying at different tiers.
Blue subscribers currently have their posts prioritised in other people's feeds, while users who don't pay have less amplification on the platform and may see lower engagement as a result. Subscribers can also have a verified tick next to their name.
Musk didn't say exactly when the charges will be brought in, but explained that a subscription fee would make it more difficult for bots to create accounts as they would need new credit cards each time.Featured Image Credit: Nathan Howard/Getty Images/X/@X
Published 20:27 3 Oct 2023 GMT+1
Grimes is suing Elon Musk over their three children
The singer has launched legal action for parental rights of X Æ A-Xii, Exa Dark Sideræl and Techno Mechanicus.
X users can currently pay a monthly fee of £9.60 or $8 to subscribe to the platform's premium Blue service, but Musk said the new system will introduce a 'lower tier pricing'.
“It’s the only way I can think of to combat vast armies of bots,” he said.
“Because a bot costs a fraction of a penny – call it a tenth of a penny – but even if it has to pay a few dollars or something, the effective cost of bots is very high."
It's unclear exactly how much the new lower 'monthly payment' will be, or whether features will be included or excluded for users paying at different tiers.
Blue subscribers currently have their posts prioritised in other people's feeds, while users who don't pay have less amplification on the platform and may see lower engagement as a result. Subscribers can also have a verified tick next to their name.
Musk didn't say exactly when the charges will be brought in, but explained that a subscription fee would make it more difficult for bots to create accounts as they would need new credit cards each time.Featured Image Credit: Nathan Howard/Getty Images/X/@X
Published 20:27 3 Oct 2023 GMT+1
Grimes is suing Elon Musk over their three children
The singer has launched legal action for parental rights of X Æ A-Xii, Exa Dark Sideræl and Techno Mechanicus.
Grimes has launched legal action against Elon Musk over the parental rights of their three children.
The singer and tech billionaire aren't officially together, however they currently co-parent X Æ A-Xii, Exa Dark Sideræl and Techno Mechanicus.
Page Six has obtained court records that show Grimes, real name Claire Boucher, has filed a 'petition to establish parental relationship'.
The outlet states this is sometimes done when the parents of children aren't married and it helps sets legal precedent over who the parents are.
The specific details of the case have been currently remained sealed.
Jason Kempin/Getty ImagesIt comes after Grimes lashed out in a series of since-deleted Twitter/X posts, according to the Daily Mail.
The 35-year-old demanded to be able to see her son and called out Shivon Zilis, who recently had twins with Elon Musk through IVF.
"Tell Shivon to unblock me and tell Elon to let me see my son or plz respond to my lawyer," she said.
"I have never even been allowed to see a photo of these children until this moment, despite the situation utterly ripping my family apart."
It was only revealed that Grimes and Musk had a third child when a review of a biography on the tech billionaire was done by The New York Times.
Musk and Grimes were first romantically linked to one another back in May 2018.
Two years later, they welcomed their firstborn X Æ A-12 into the world, and their second child came along in December 2021.
Their first daughter was conceived via a surrogate and she was named Exa Dark Sideræl Musk or 'Y' as a nickname.
They separated after Y and Grimes explained that she classed her relationship with Musk as 'fluid', her 'best friend' and 'the love of my life'.
Walter Isaacson's biography had a write up in The NYT and journalist Jennifer Szalai said: "The musician Grimes, the mother of three of Musk’s children (the existence of the third, Techno Mechanicus, nicknamed Tau, has been kept private until now), calls [Musk's] roiling anger 'demon mode' - a mind-set that 'causes a lot of chaos'.
"She also insists that it allows him to get stuff done."
That was how the world was introduced to the pair's third child.
According to the biography, Tau is the tenth child of Musk's - children he shares with three separate women.
Isaacson was able to gain such an insight into Musk's life by shadowing him for two years with 'unprecedented access' to his life.
