Tesla Inc. (TSLA) CEO Elon Musk has a theory about the future of money: there won't be any. Or rather, it won't matter anymore. The world's richest man doubled down this week on his belief that artificial intelligence and robotics will fundamentally reshape economics as we know it.
When Scarcity Disappears
The conversation started Monday when Scott Adams quoted a post about President Donald Trump's Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent working to get companies invested in the "Trump Accounts" initiative. The program aims to provide capital to children when they turn 18. Adams posed an interesting question: "Will money have value when the kids turn 18?"
Musk's response was characteristically bold. "Civilization will either be gone or AI/robotics will eliminate scarcity," he wrote, ending with the prediction that "money won't matter." It's the kind of statement that sounds either visionary or absurd depending on your perspective, but Musk has built his career on betting against conventional wisdom.
The Trump Accounts Problem
The timing of this philosophical discussion is interesting given the practical concerns swirling around the Trump Accounts initiative itself. Experts have been warning parents about hidden complications in the fine print. The issue? Contributions parents make after the initial federal seed capital apparently lack a crucial exemption from federal gift tax laws, potentially forcing families into tax filings typically reserved for the ultra-wealthy.
Despite these compliance headaches, the program has attracted serious backing. Michael Dell, founder of Dell Technologies Inc. (DELL), along with his wife Susan Dell, has pledged over $6.25 billion in grants to fund these Trump-branded investment accounts for children. That's real money being committed to accounts that Musk thinks might be meaningless in 18 years.
Musk's Billion-Dollar Win
Speaking of money that matters right now, Musk just scored a major victory in Delaware. The state's Supreme Court ruled in favor of restoring his $56 billion pay package from 2018, reversing an earlier judgment that had blocked the compensation.
The package strengthens Musk's grip on Tesla (TSLA), giving him over 18.1% of the automaker's expanded share base if he exercises all stock options under the 2018 compensation plan. Investors already approved the trillion-dollar pay package, and now the legal system has backed them up.
Tesla scores well on momentum metrics while offering satisfactory growth and quality, though value remains a concern. The stock shows favorable price trends across short, medium, and long-term timeframes.
Price Action: TSLA jumped 1.56% to $488.73 at market close, then added another 0.26% to $489.99 in after-hours trading.