World’s richest person, Elon Musk, issues challenge to the United Nations
Tesla CEO Elon Musk, whose net worth just rose by US$24 billion to reach a total of US$335.1 billion, has issued a challenge to the United Nations: prove that money will help solve global hunger, and I will give you that money, more or less.
It was in response to a tweet made by David Beasley, director of the UN’s World Food Programme, which itself was a response to the news of Musk’s net worth soaring by US$36 billion last week after Hertz ordered 100,000 Teslas. The tweet from Beasley reads, “$36 billion in one day - @elonmusk 's net worth increase due to a @Tesla / @Hertz deal. Congratulations, Elon! 1/6 of your one day increase would save 42 million lives that are knocking on famine's door. Unprecedented crisis. Unprecedented wealth. Help!!”
$36 billion in one day - @elonmusk's net worth increase due to a @Tesla / @Hertz deal. Congratulations, Elon! 1/6 of your one day increase would save 42 million lives that are knocking on famine's door. Unprecedented crisis. Unprecedented wealth. Help!! https://t.co/n4hfpl5NRE
— David Beasley (@WFPChief) October 28, 2021
Responding to a ‘fact-check’ of Beasley’s claims posted by a Dr. Eli David a few days later, Musk wrote, “If WFP can describe on this Twitter thread exactly how $6B will solve world hunger, I will sell Tesla stock right now and do it."
Beasley responded, explaining that the CNN headline was inaccurate; while $6 billion won’t solve world hunger, it will “prevent geopolitical instability, mass migration and save 42 million people on the brink of starvation”. He invited Musk to have a chat, adding, “It isn’t as complicated as Falcon Heavy, but too much at stake to not at least have a conversation.”
.@elonmusk With your help we can bring hope, build stability and change the future.
Let’s talk: It isn’t as complicated as Falcon Heavy, but too much at stake to not at least have a conversation. I can be on the next flight to you. Throw me out if you don’t like what you hear!— David Beasley (@WFPChief) October 31, 2021
Musk is known for firing off off-the-cuff tweets with little forethought or expectation of follow-through, so it’s not clear whether Beasley’s response satisfies his criteria. His response was characteristically brusque: “Please publish your current & proposed spending in detail so people can see exactly where money goes. Sunlight is a wonderful thing.”
Beasley invited Musk to meet him anywhere, “Earth or space”, to discuss the issue further and see the work the World Food Programme does. Time will tell whether tackling issues like world hunger is a genuine concern of Musk’s, or whether this was simply another day on Twitter for the tech mogul. It’s worth noting that $6 billion works out to be just over 2% of his current net worth.
Image: Patrick Pleul/picture alliance via Getty Images