Musk on Population Again: Don't Worry About the Cost, Now's the Time to Have Kids!

Musk on Population Again: Don't Worry About the Cost, Now's the Time to Have Kids!Tesla CEO Elon Musk has once again expressed his concerns about population decline and encouraged people to have children. During a rally in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania last Saturday, he gave straightforward advice to young people about starting families: "My advice is to start having families now

Musk on Population Again: Don't Worry About the Cost, Now's the Time to Have Kids!

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has once again expressed his concerns about population decline and encouraged people to have children. During a rally in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania last Saturday, he gave straightforward advice to young people about starting families: "My advice is to start having families now."

Musk, the current richest person in the world with a net worth of $242 billion, holds strong personal opinions on the matter of procreation. He believes people are overly concerned about the cost of raising children, emphasizing: I think people are too worried about financial burdens after having kids. Honestly, theres no better time than now. Have children, you wont regret it. Everything will be fine.

Musk himself has 11 children and has been advocating for having children for years, even warning that global population could collapse if birth rates continue to decline. In May, he posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, saying, Have kids anyway, or civilization will eventually die! Back in February, he also expressed on social media: I am trying hard to encourage more people to be parents, ideally 3 or more children so humanity keeps growing.

Musk even went as far as saying in a December post last year that he understood why some people chose not to have children. "However, I think that deliberately not having children is not good. That is anti-human," he stated.

In April, responding to a conversation about the cost of raising children, Musk simply responded, "That's true." He believes raising children is not expensive, but that people's lifestyles are.

While recent historic inflation and soaring interest rates have indeed increased the cost of living, Musk seems unconcerned about peoples worries about raising children. Numerous surveys show that many prospective parents are concerned about the impact starting a family will have on their finances. A Pew Research Center survey found that among American adults under 50 who haven't had children, the proportion who say they are unlikely to have children jumped from 37% in 2018 to 47% in 2023. Among this group, 36% of respondents said the main reason was that they couldn't afford to have children.

Musk is not the only billionaire unconcerned about the cost of raising children. Kevin OLeary once said, "Forget about money when it comes to kids," and suggested "getting married early and having a lot of kids." A successful investor and host of the American reality show "Shark Tank," O'Leary regrets not having two more children earlier because he wishes he had more time with them when he was younger.

The pronouncements of wealthy individuals like Musk and O'Leary have sparked societal debate. Some argue that their views are overly idealistic, overlooking the economic pressures of real life. Others believe that population concerns are serious issues that should be addressed and having children should be encouraged.

Regardless, Musk's comments have reignited discussions about procreation and population issues. Perhaps this serves as a reminder that when making choices about starting a family, we need to carefully consider our own circumstances and maintain a hopeful outlook for the future.