02/09/2026
Happiness is a state of well-being and contentment : joy!
Mr. Musk has been a joy to watch and has given so much to our country by his vision and vitality. I place him in the category of “a disrupter” for the good of our country. Something our country needed.
Very simply – HAPPINESS is an INSIDE JOB. It is all up to you. It is your choice every day when you wake up – your attitude. You can choose to be in a good mood or a bad mood.
Mr. Musk has chosen the world he lives in by sharing in his own way.
But – that needle in the haystack when it is threaded states:
Legally –
Polygamy, or having more than one wife, is illegal in all states in the United States, and individuals can face legal consequences for attempting to enter into multiple marriages simultaneously.
ttps://www.msn.com/en-us/money/savingandinvesting/even-with-850-billion-to-his-name-elon-musk-admits-money-can-t-buy-happiness-but-billionaire-mark-cuban-says-it-s-not-so-simple/ar-AA1VPAia?uxmode=ruby&ocid=edgdhpruby&pc=DCTS&cvid=6989e58a39f34b6a92c111e74b651cb6&ei=27
Even with $850 billion to his name, Elon Musk admits money can’t buy happiness. But billionaire Mark Cuban says it’s not so simple
Story by Preston Fore
Feb 06 • 4 min read • Updated 2d ago
Key takeaways:
- Money vs Happiness: Despite a net worth of $852 billion, Musk admits money can’t buy happiness, echoing the sentiment that wealth amplifies existing emotions rather than creating joy.
- Advice from Peers: Billionaires like Bill Ackman suggest focusing on philanthropy and long-term relationships, while Mark Cuban emphasizes that money magnifies pre-existing happiness or misery.
- Research Insights: Studies show income increases happiness up to a point ($75k–$100k), but for the already unhappy, more money doesn’t guarantee fulfillment, highlighting that wealth eases stress but can’t solve deeper personal issues.
Elon Musk may be the richest person on the planet—and on track to become a trillionaire—but a viral social post indicates his wealth is not bringing him happiness.© Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
Elon Musk’s net worth surged to $852 billion this week—a record high set into motion by the merger of two of his companies, SpaceX and xAI, ahead of a highly anticipated IPO later this year. But even with more wealth to his name than anyone in history, Musk doesn’t seem convinced that the number in his bank account translates into personal fulfillment.
“Whoever said, ‘Money can’t buy happiness’ really knew what they were talking about,” Musk wrote this week on X, a post that’s garnered over 96 million views.
The remark sparked reaction across his social platform, including from members of the ultrawealthy who have grappled with the same dilemma. Hedge fund billionaire Bill Ackman offered Musk some pointed advice—urging him to focus more on philanthropy and perspective.
“A lot of happiness comes from helping others. You have helped millions, and someday it will likely be billions. You just need to appreciate what you have accomplished for so many,” he wrote.
Ackman also suggested it might be time for Musk to settle down with a long-term partner. Musk has 14 children with four different women.
“Happiness can also be found in a long-term relationship with someone really special. It is time for you to find that someone for the long term. Just my two cents.”
Mark Cuban, the billionaire investor and former Shark Tank star, agreed with Musk to an extent, but said linking wealth to happiness isn’t cut and dry. Essentially, money doesn’t fundamentally change happiness so much as magnify what’s already there.
“If you were happy when you were poor, you will be insanely happy if you get rich,” Cuban hit back on X. “If you were miserable, you will stay miserable, just with a lot less financial stress.”
What the experts say
Researchers have long tried to answer the age-old question of whether money can buy happiness—and the answer is more nuanced than a simple yes or no.
A widely cited 2010 Princeton University study found that day-to-day emotional well-being increased with income but plateaued beyond roughly $75,000. More recent research from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School complicates that finding. It shows that happiness rises with income, but people who are already unhappy tend to see happiness gains level off once their income reaches around $100,000 annually.
“In the simplest terms, this suggests that for most people larger incomes are associated with greater happiness,” Matthew Killingsworth, a senior fellow at Wharton and the lead author, said.
“The exception is people who are financially well-off but unhappy. For instance, if you’re rich and miserable, more money won’t help. For everyone else, more money was associated with higher happiness to somewhat varying degrees.”
These findings align with the message Cuban appeared to send Musk: Money often acts as an amplifier, but not a cure. While it can ease stress and expand choices, it can’t automatically resolve things like strained personal relationships or underlying feelings about life.
Elon Musk says it’s ‘very hard’ to do good with philanthropy
(Very true, because a lot of the money never gets to the intended people due to the corruption factor.)
While much of Musk’s wealth is tied up in company valuations rather than cash, the sheer scale of his fortune still affords extraordinary flexibility. Even accounting for illiquid assets, Musk has access to resources few people in history have ever had—enough to acquire virtually any home or technology or even make an unprecedented impact through philanthropy.
But despite Ackman’s suggestion that Musk would be happier if he gave more of his money away, the world’s richest man has insisted even that’s not as simple as it seems.
“I agree with love of humanity, and I think we should try to do things that help our fellow human beings,” Musk said on the WTF podcast late last year. “But it’s very hard.
“The biggest challenge I find with my foundation is trying to give money away in a way that is truly beneficial to people,” Musk added. “It’s very easy to give money away to get the appearance of goodness. It is very difficult to give money away for the reality of goodness. Very difficult.”
Musk is far from alone in grappling with that tension. Many tech leaders, including Mark Zuckerberg, Larry Ellison, and Musk himself—have signed the Giving Pledge, an initiative launched by Bill Gates, Melinda French Gates, and Warren Buffett to give the majority of their wealth to charitable causes. But critics note that many signatories have moved slowly in fulfilling those commitments. Billionaire investor Peter Thiel reportedly urged Musk to abandon the pledge, arguing that Gates would otherwise direct the money to “left-wing nonprofits.”
Gates, for his part, has been more candid about what extreme wealth can—and can’t—deliver. Asked in 2019 during a Reddit Q&A session if being a billionaire made him happier than if he were middle-class, the Microsoft cofounder said yes.
“I don’t have to think about health costs or college costs,” Gates said. “Being free from worry about financial things is a real blessing.”
However, he added: “Of course, you don’t need a billion to get to that point. We do need to reduce the cost growth in these areas.”
This story was originally featured on Fortune.com
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My words are not being spoken to “rain on your parade,” but, facts always seem to get in the way of the truth.
Again, thank you, Mr. Musk for making our world more interesting and exciting.
kommonsentsjane
kommonsentsjane 