Camilla Jessen
Elon Musk on ageing, power and Trump.
Elon Musk used the World Economic Forum in Davos to outline an optimistic view of human longevity while also voicing unease about its consequences. In the same appearance, he made a pointed joke about President Donald Trump’s latest diplomatic initiative.
During a discussion with BlackRock chief executive Larry Fink, Musk said ageing is “a very solvable problem,” even though he has not personally focused much on longevity research.
“I haven’t put much time into ageing stuff,” Musk said. “I do think it is a very solvable problem when we figure out what causes ageing.”
He argued that ageing appears to be driven by a single mechanism affecting the entire body. “All the cells in your body pretty much age at the same rate,” he said, adding that this suggests the existence of a biological “clock” synchronising trillions of cells.
“If we can figure out that clock,” Musk said, “do I think we will figure out ways to extend life and maybe even reverse ageing — I think that is highly likely.”
Risks of immortality
Despite his optimism, Musk said death plays a role in keeping societies dynamic.
“There is some benefit to death, by the way,” he said. He warned that if people live forever or for extremely long periods, societies risk becoming rigid and stagnant.
Musk said long-lived elites could entrench power and ideas, making it harder for new generations to influence politics, business or culture.
Trump remark
Musk also used the Davos stage to comment on Trump’s recently announced “Board of Peace,” which the US president has promoted as a new forum for international diplomacy.
“I heard about the formation of the Peace Summit and I thought is that piece or … a little piece of Greenland, a little piece of Venezuela,” Musk said, referencing Trump’s past interest in territorial acquisitions.
The remark drew laughter in the room.
Trump has said his Board of Peace has widespread interest, though some US allies have declined involvement. Musk’s comments reflected skepticism about the initiative’s purpose.
Sources: World Economic Forum, International Business Times
