# Elon Musk says money could become 'irrelevant,' descendants may be 'tiny fraction' as wealthy

> **Open Intelligence Dossier** · First detected: 2026-10-21 13:40 UTC · Category: Business

## Executive Summary
Elon Musk predicts artificial intelligence and automation could render money irrelevant.

## Intelligence Brief
Recent coverage from outlets including Business Insider, Hindustan Times, Interesting Engineering, HuffPost, and Commonwealth Club World Affairs highlights remarks by Elon Musk concerning the long-term future of artificial intelligence, labor, and wealth. According to the reports, Musk suggests that future generations might find money obsolete if automation and advanced technology make work and traditional financial systems unnecessary. The discussions place particular emphasis on how human happiness, societal structures, and personal wealth could shift dramatically in an automated landscape. The reporting details how energy metrics, specifically watts, could eventually define value in place of conventional currency.


Outlets such as Interesting Engineering emphasize this technological transition, while publications like Hindustan Times note Musk's commentary that people will find alternative ways to find fulfillment if jobs vanish. HuffPost frames the remarks through the perspective of the world's richest man evaluating a post-scarcity economy, whereas Business Insider highlights predictions regarding descendants holding only a tiny fraction of historical wealth levels relative to future abundance. Context for these statements emerges from ongoing public discourse surrounding artificial intelligence abundance and scarcity, featured notably in forums like the Commonwealth Club World Affairs panel on the humanist review of AI. Analysts and commentators are increasingly examining the intersection of rapid technological capability and foundational economic models.


The dialogue reflects broader anxieties and theoretical projections regarding automation's capacity to disrupt labor markets, redefine productivity, and fundamentally alter how global societies measure and distribute resources. Future coverage will likely track further elaborations from technology leaders regarding post-work economic frameworks and energy-based valuation models. Observers are also monitoring how mainstream financial and technological forums address the practical implications of artificial intelligence scaling toward widespread labor obsolescence. Because the current reports are limited to these specific forward-looking predictions, subsequent developments will depend on whether additional concrete proposals or technological milestones accompany these theoretical visions.

## Multi-Source Evidence Table
| Source Outlet | Headline | Verification URL |
|---|---|---|
| Hindustan Times | Elon Musk says ‘people will find ways to be happy’ if AI makes money and work obsolete in future | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi6wFBVV95cUxPcHZWb3NaUVdPQ2RRX0xhVWF1LUJZSFdrTnM4MG1wMHFwcjhKTnJ1YU9ZVi1yUTlzMDFuMWh2MlB1cGpNamh1aGtwQmdBWFV2c21PUzh2ZUZBUXRMRVJCdHpXWmRudXlZOXA4aW9oc2RHRHdHNUsySGpVUmpGZjhhTElXMnJPUVRWVEdxa2kzakgxcmtlbzVvY0FEakZTam5ERUc1clZNS3YyZTNDMWZNNmg0V0gtVWNscWVVNWlPZmtEN2JUbkpib1k5UnRtNnVSZHFqZERSaXVpZ3liUDlNUUxQU1hJbTBiZVM4?oc=5) |
| Commonwealth Club World Affairs | The Humanist Review of AI: Abundance & Scarcity | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMikgFBVV95cUxPOENfTFdZZlA2Ty1Jbm4wYjVMcmdJaHRIM1ppMUUzV0hyczhnU3kwVWRzM201aDh4TlFtNDVmMG9IVlRIMGY5dkQzY0NMNTVJNnRqY3BWT1YtcGdldENJc2RTd0pVSDd6MW9qLUQtaGtyLXVJZ3p3cVFDZGZXamVONHExZnRSNDhUVXVWaTE3c1pfQQ?oc=5) |
| Interesting Engineering | Elon Musk predicts money's demise as watts and energy define value | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMijwFBVV95cUxQM1FsenRBb0Q5bU56QjNtbVpGMGxjTlpTUG5ZcVNxNktEWFFuSmlQNDQtcnBfVUpiMjRKTE9xYjdiMFQ4YzF2akg3bjlZLWk4NW5MaThqQnViSWQ5UlpFSzViTHVHZ1BCUUVKMENGTnZ1Wk05REtISDZmQ2t0OEMwSVhYZlNhcUJ1MXFzeE1XVQ?oc=5) |
| HuffPost | World's Richest Man Predicts Future Where Money Becomes Irrelevant | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMioAFBVV95cUxNb3Zwdm95cVA2SHZtQXM2SjV3cEVLbEZFdU1WWWJHenlLNHNsdk5mcVhnV0xkSHBTLXZHOEQ1WE94NllkcG5sS05uVl9RcXR4b0tLLXU0elFqQWhUVlFZbzZOTmpReEJhaTNHbkxMMktNdzJyQWFUYV81WkxGZGhrY2Y2TTRxQ3lNYjI1aUk3NV8yTTZpMUJ5LTRZeFhSd2M3?oc=5) |
| Business Insider | Elon Musk says money could become 'irrelevant,' descendants may be 'tiny fraction' as wealthy | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirAFBVV95cUxNZXdLVHRQMHRNNkNRMmxPb1Q1cndZOHhEandnN3VFai1SVmhtQ2hGXzd6LTV2dUNrM1V4RHd3ODl5ZlBqYjRuZUZvZWdJRU0wYmxNdXNRS014VHh0OW9XSkk1SWI1aW45SEg2NUVLVjNmZzlLb0lvSXEzYkE1aXVILXZsVVM0MlRGc0RmQXlvT0ZkeC1BSEJKcEV1UHI5MEFBMkFnS0FZaTJBYzB0?oc=5) |

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*Canonical Source: https://pulse.byoviral.com/trend/2026-10-21/elon-musk-says-money-could-become-irrelevant-descendants-may-be-tiny-fraction*