Elon Musk is known for his bold ideas and outspoken opinions, and this time, he's not holding back. The tech billionaire recently responded to an article in Fortune magazine that criticized the growing movement of pronatalism, which encourages people to have more children. The article featured comments from experts who compared pronatalism to a Ponzi scheme, and Musk wasn't having it.
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Reacting to Marc Andreessen sharing a screenshot of the article, Musk responded strongly, saying, “Something deeply misanthropic about these people,” addressing the authors of the article who argued that encouraging people to have more children is based on the mistaken idea that more people are necessary for economic growth.
The author quoted experts who claimed that without proper government intervention, any economic benefits from a growing population typically go to the wealthy, leaving workers and consumers worse off.
The article also drew attention to the challenges women face in pronatalist societies by quoting experts like Emily Klancher Merchant, assistant professor of science and technology studies at UC Davis, and Win Brown, research affiliate at the University of Washington's Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology.
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They suggested that pronatalism relies on new generations to support the older ones, much like a Ponzi scheme: “It relies on new entrants to produce returns for earlier investors, with the burdens falling most heavily on women, who are responsible for the bulk of childbearing and child-rearing, often without adequate medical care or affordable child care.”
According to the article, Musk, who has long been vocal about his concerns over declining birthrates, has warned that a population collapse could pose a significant risk to civilization’s future, saying, “collapsing birthrate is the biggest danger civilization faces, by far.”
At a conference, Musk also encouraged everyone to have “at least three children.” However, as we mentioned then, the Institute for Family Studies reports that the cost of raising a child can range from $202,248 to $430,928, causing many potential parents to reconsider having children.
On the other hand, the tech mogul has now fathered at least 12 children, six from his previous relationships and three with the musical artist Grimes.
Last year, he encouraged people in Italy and other developed countries to have more children. He pointed out the economic impact, saying that while Italy is “a good place to invest,” companies are questioning whether there will be enough workers in the future.
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The Fortune article further questioned whether pronatalist policies work, citing Italy's 2020 Family Act as an example. Despite offering subsidies for child care, increased paternity leave, and higher salaries for mothers, the country's birthrate has continued to drop.
The article also mentions that in the U.S., some worry that an aging population could strain programs like Social Security (which Musk once called the “Biggest Ponzi scheme ever”). Still, the experts in the article suggested that this problem can be solved through pro-immigration policies and tax reforms, not by having more children.
As this debate continues, it's clear that the question of how to best support future generations remains a complex and contentious issue. And with voices as influential as Musk's in the conversation, it's not likely to die down anytime soon.
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