Elon Musk predicts money may become irrelevant by 2036

Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, predicted in a late July 2026 interview that money could become largely irrelevant within a decade as artificial intelligence and robotics create an era of overwhelming abundance. Musk made the comments during a conversation with The Economist editor-in-chief Zanny Minton Beddoes, arguing that by 2036, the fundamental relationship between currency and economic value may dissolve.

Musk framed his prediction around the core purpose of money, stating that its value is tied to the scarcity of goods and services. He suggested that if AI and automated systems can produce more than humans could possibly consume, the need for traditional currency would diminish. In such a future, he proposed that governments could support citizens by having national treasuries issue payments directly to people. When Beddoes raised concerns that creating more money could trigger inflation, Musk disagreed, arguing that inflation is a ratio of money to available goods and services. He contended that if AI dramatically increases the supply of goods, the money supply could expand without causing inflation, and that deflation could become the world's primary economic...