Elon Musk predicts the end of mandatory work and money within 10 years

On July 23, 2026, The Economist published a 90-minute interview between its editor-in-chief Zanny Minton Beddoes and Elon Musk. The main topic: the future of AI. One of the responses from the first trillionaire in history, however, made headlines around the world within hours. When asked about the future revenue sources of Tesla and SpaceX, Musk did not respond with a revenue figure or a market strategy. He stated: I will make another prediction. Money will no longer matter by 2036.

In brief

• Elon Musk believes that AI will surpass human intelligence in about five years.
• He predicts that work will become optional over the next decade.
• According to him, money will also lose its significance by 2036.
• These announcements come as Tesla's stock falls and SpaceX retreats after its historic debut.

AI could make work optional according to Elon Musk

For Elon Musk, the next breakthrough will not come solely from automation. He believes that artificial intelligence will surpass the sum of human intellectual capabilities in about five years.

This evolution would open up an economy where machines would perform the majority of productive tasks. Work would then become optional rather than essential. In other words, everyone could continue to engage in activities out of personal interest rather than financial necessity.

The billionaire takes this reasoning even further. He believes that money will gradually lose its importance by 2036. The reason is that goods and services will become sufficiently abundant due to technological advancements.

This projection is therefore entirely based on a continuous acceleration of artificial intelligence performance. However, it does not provide any details on the economic functioning of such a society.

Another key element of Musk's discourse: a global competition around artificial intelligence

During the interview with The Economist, Elon Musk emphasizes the rapid progress made by China. According to him, the country is approaching a capability to produce its own advanced chips for AI. This would reduce its dependence on Western technologies.

He also praises the level achieved by Anthropic's Fable model launched in June 2026. However, he believes that the Chinese model Kimi K3 is also quickly catching up.

To mitigate risks, Musk proposes an unprecedented mechanism: the leading AI laboratories would share their new models with their competitors one to two weeks before their launch. Each player could then signal potential risks to the American and Chinese authorities before any public dissemination.

These statements come in a less favorable context for Elon Musk's companies

On the same day as this interview, Tesla released mixed quarterly results. Its revenue reached a record $28.24 billion. An increase of 26%! However, the adjusted earnings per share came in at $0.33, compared to the $0.51 expected by analysts. The stock finished the session down 14.5%. This is its largest drop in over a year.

SpaceX is also experiencing a turbulent period. Listed on the stock market in June 2026 during a historic operation, the company has seen its valuation decline after reaching a peak of $2.6 trillion. Its thirteenth Starship test flight was also aborted before takeoff due to the failure of several Raptor engines.

During the interview, Elon Musk also admits to having spent too much time on politics during his tenure as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). He claims to have gotten carried away while continuing to defend several decisions made during that time.

What this would imply for currency, if the scenario were to materialize

Analysts are betting on three possible consequences if Elon Musk's prediction were to come true:

• Falling prices for goods and services whose production can be automated on a large scale. This includes electronics, the textile industry, and certain digital services.
• Increasing pressure on states to finance massive income transfers. The fact is that wage employment would lose its centrality as a mechanism for wealth distribution.
• A shift in scarcity towards energy since land will be available for data centers and robotic factories (and human attention).

In the same context, they raise a fundamental governance question: who decides the distribution of abundance if AI production remains concentrated among a few dominant private actors?

Musk himself acknowledges that this transition would be chaotic. According to him, it could even generate significant social tensions if jobs disappear faster than new roles emerge to replace them.

In any case, Elon Musk's statements extend a conviction he has defended for several years: artificial intelligence will transform not only businesses but also the foundations of the global economy. Whether the deadline of 2036 is verified or not, the debate it rekindles goes far beyond just the Tesla-SpaceX case. It joins questions already well known to crypto analysts, central banks, and state digital currencies.