Elon Musk, described as the world’s richest man, has long faced public questions about what he plans to do with a fortune estimated at roughly $1 trillion. Other billionaires have given away large sums, including MacKenzie Scott, who has donated more than $26 billion and is still worth nearly $35 billion, according to Bloomberg’s billionaire profile.

On social media, users have repeatedly urged Musk to donate part of his wealth, or even all of it. Musk has previously spoken directly about the difficulty of philanthropy.

“I agree with love of humanity, and I think we should try to do things that help our fellow human beings,” Musk told Nikhil Kamath for the WTF podcast in an episode published in December 2025. “But it’s very hard.”

Musk has also said that money may no longer matter because of artificial intelligence. On Monday, Nobel Prize–winning economist Daron Acemoglu challenged that view in a post on X.

“A proposed pledge for Elon Musk,” Acemoglu wrote. “An opportunity to put your money where your mouth is. If money won’t matter in 2036, why don’t you pledge to donate your current wealth of approximately $1 trillion to charity no later than 2036. This would establish with great credibility your belief in the powers of AI and technology.”

Acemoglu said such a pledge could also address concerns among people around the world about the political and social influence of billionaires and trillionaires. The challenge focused not only on the size of Musk’s wealth, but also on the credibility of public commitments by extremely wealthy individuals when their fortunes can shape business, politics, and civic life.

“The charities chosen for this should be approved as effective and non-ideological by an impartial body,” he added.

Musk responded to Acemoglu on X, writing: “I am actually going to do something along these lines!”

Musk did not provide further details about what he meant. The comment nevertheless contrasts with the way the Tesla and SpaceX CEO has often discussed philanthropy and with his public criticism of other major donors, including Scott. Musk recently suggested that Scott’s giving had made the world worse off.

Musk’s record on philanthropy

On June 27, Pubity, a major viral media and social news brand, posted on X about Scott’s charitable giving, saying her $26 billion in donations had made her one of the “biggest individual donors in history.” Scott, the former wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, was also identified as the largest megadonor in 2025.

An account named @FrenlyOfficer, which had 22,500 followers and whose bio described the user as a “Heterosexual Alpha Male,” replied to Pubity’s post by saying, “Unfortunately, she’s spending it making the world a worse place.” Musk replied to @FrenlyOfficer and agreed with the sentiment, writing: “Sadly, yes.” The X post is available at https://x.com/elonmusk/status/2071168511364513833?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2071168511364513833%7Ctwgr%5Efa9253abc9c745161ee9204121cafb0763d8850b%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheprint.in%2Ffeature%2Felon-musk-jeff-bezos-mackenzie-scott%2F2972727%2F.

Musk’s foundation held about $14 billion as of the end of 2025, according to files obtained by the New York Times. The newspaper reported that Musk has largely donated to organizations that “narrowly track” the interests of his own companies.

For example, three-quarters of Musk’s total giving in 2024, or $370 million, went to a nonprofit in Texas led by one of his top aides. “That nonprofit appears to provide a benefit to Mr. Musk’s business empire,” the New York Times reported. “It operates an elementary school in a rural area where many of his employees live, near a cluster of Mr. Musk’s companies.”

That record makes the details of any future pledge important: whether it would be formal or informal, how charities would be selected, and whether donations would flow through Musk’s foundation or another structure. For now, Musk has said only that he is considering “something along these lines,” without specifying timing, recipients, oversight, or the amount involved.

Musk has said in the past that philanthropy is difficult, while records cited by the New York Times show that much of his giving has gone to causes connected to his business interests. His statement to Acemoglu on X this week raised a new question about whether he will pursue a pledge related to his wealth and charitable giving.

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com: https://fortune.com/2026/07/27/will-elon-musk-give-away-his-1-trillion-fortune-to-charity-billionaire-trillionaire-philanthropy/