Even the world's richest person has a weakness for a good greasy cheeseburger. But if you're hoping to find one on Mars, you're out of luck.
During a mid-December appearance on "The Katie Miller Podcast," Elon Musk delivered his trademark combination of grand vision and brutal honesty about humanity's future in space. When host Katie Miller posed a hypothetical about choosing between saving humanity on Earth versus guaranteeing survival on Mars, Musk rejected the framing outright.
"It's a false dichotomy," he explained. Earth is objectively superior to Mars by every conceivable measure. But if humanity wants to become a multi-planet species, Mars "is really our only option."
More importantly, Musk took aim at a popular misconception about his Mars ambitions. Some people imagine Mars as an exclusive refuge where billionaires will escape Earth's problems and live in comfort. That fantasy couldn't be further from reality.
"Sometimes people think… going to Mars is an escape from Earth or that it would be some place where billionaires would go or something like that," Musk said. "But actually Mars will be very dangerous… much more dangerous and much less comfortable than Earth."
His sales pitch was refreshingly pessimistic. "It's going to be uncomfortable. The food won't be as good as Earth. You might die. It's going to be a mass amount of hard work and it may not succeed." Not exactly the kind of marketing copy you'd see on a luxury resort brochure.
Musk drew a historical parallel to Jamestown, where early American settlers died in staggering numbers just trying to establish a foothold in the New World. "Maybe if there had been social media back then," he joked, "they would have been saying, 'We're all dying. Here's videos of us dying.' Would have probably put a damper on future voyages."
While this particular interview didn't dive deep into his colonization timeline, Musk has long advocated for populating Mars as an insurance policy for humanity's long-term survival. In his view, the first wave of Mars settlers will be pioneers accepting enormous risks, not wealthy vacationers seeking comfort.
As for food, Earth maintains an insurmountable advantage. When Miller asked about his favorite meal, Musk didn't hesitate: "American food is my favorite…cheeseburgers are amazing. It's a genius invention." If forced to eat only one thing forever, he'd choose a cheeseburger, though he acknowledged that could get tedious eventually.
So if you've been imagining Mars as some kind of red-planet paradise with billionaire bunkers and Michelin-star dining, Musk wants you to adjust your expectations. Think cramped metal habitats, ration packs, no condiments, and zero tolerance for picky eating habits.
Still, if Earth faces an existential crisis and humanity needs a backup plan, at least someone's doing the hard thinking. Just don't expect to find a drive-thru window when you arrive.