Elon Musk once pledged to donate most of his fortune…but conveniently never followed through. In recent years, the tech trillionaire has given only a miniscule fraction of his net worth to charity, much of it funneled through a secretive, thrice-audited foundation.
It seems unlikely that this latest windfall will usher in some Dickensian awakening for Musk. But if it did, here are a few things he could do with his (hundreds of) billions:
1. Pull hundreds of millions of people out of extreme poverty. According to an analysis released last year, it would cost just $318 billion annually to put an end to the worst form of poverty worldwide. By distributing just over one-quarter of his fortune, Musk could ensure that one-eighth of the world’s population had adequate food, safe shelter, and clean drinking water.
2. Pay off all medical debt in the United States. About 1 in 3 Americans has a past-due medical bill — the kind of entirely involuntary, often predatory debt that can quickly turn a cancer diagnosis into bankruptcy. In sum, Americans owe roughly $220 billion in medical debt, which prompts some to avoid care entirely.
3. Bankroll universal preschool. There’s growing momentum for universal preschool programs, which — when implemented well — can have major benefits for kids and working families. The price tag for building such a program nationally? About $351 billion over 10 years, according to economists at the University of Pennsylvania.
4. Climate-proof the world. Climate change will cause dangerous heat waves, droughts, and rising sea levels around the world. But billions of people live in low- or middle-income countries that can’t afford the kinds of cooling systems, flood protection, and irrigation infrastructure they need to stay safe in extreme weather. Just half of Musk’s wealth — which totals $1.4 trillion — would be enough to protect everyone from the worst climate hazards.
5. End world hunger. The United Nations estimates it would cost about $93 billion annually to end global hunger by 2030, for a total cost of $465 billion (or about a third of Musk’s net worth).
6. Give everyone clean drinking water. Over 4 billion people lack access to safe drinking water at home, which puts them at risk for waterborne diseases such as cholera and dysentery. Installing better pipes, filtration systems, and well networks for everyone would cost about $114 billion per year, according to the UN.
7. End homelessness in America. Most estimates put the cost of ending homelessness at somewhere between $10 billion and $30 billion each year. If that seems too modest, Musk could also make an enormous dent in the broader housing shortage by constructing 2 million homes to close the supply gap. That would cost $95 billion over five years, according to the Council for American Progress.
8. Wipe out tuberculosis. Tuberculosis is the world’s deadliest infectious disease, killing about 1.5 million people each year. Eradicating tuberculosis by 2030 would cost about $250 billion.
9. Research cures for cancer and other diseases. In 2023, the US invested about $993 billion in research and development, which includes new medical breakthroughs. With his wealth, Musk could more than replace the billions in federal science funding that the Trump administration cut under DOGE.
10. Give everyone on earth a check. Here’s a simple one: If Musk divided $1.2 trillion of his $1.4-trillion fortune among the world’s 8.2 billion people, everyone would receive a $146 check. (Musk himself would still have $200 billion left.) In the US, $146 is enough for a week or so of groceries or most of an annual Netflix subscription.
But in other countries, a check like that could be life-changing. In Zambia, where most people live on less than $2 per day, even that tiny slice of Musk’s pie could cover months of necessities, school fees, and housing costs.
Instead, Musk is joking about building a supervillain lair under a volcano.
