Here's a thought experiment that billionaires apparently get asked a lot: what would you do if you had to start over with just $1,000? Most would probably give some inspirational answer about hustle and ingenuity. Tesla Inc. (TSLA) CEO Elon Musk went a different direction.
His answer? "Give me money."
Speaking on a recent episode of the "Katie Miller Podcast," Musk explained why the entire premise of the question breaks down under scrutiny. It's not that he lacks an entrepreneurial spirit—it's that the scenario itself doesn't really make sense.
The Armageddon Scenario
Musk told host Katie Miller that for him to actually be in a position where he only had $1,000, something catastrophic would need to happen first. We're talking "Armageddon" or "Ragnarok next level," in his words.
"At this point, I have a lot of knowledge," Musk explained. "It's impossible for me, for someone to have that amount of knowledge, and then be dropped down to a low resource amount."
The only way it makes sense, he said, is if "something truly catastrophic has happened, like civilization has melted," or all assets have been wiped out under extreme circumstances. And here's the kicker: in that scenario, money itself wouldn't be worth much anyway.
"If civilization has melted," Musk said, "$1,000 is not going to solve your problems."
Fair point. If we're in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, you probably need water and canned goods more than startup capital.
The Realistic Alternative
But what if society is still functioning? That's where Musk's answer gets interesting—and refreshingly honest.
"I will be able to ask people to just give me money," Musk said, adding that he could do so "with the promise that I will have a high return."
He put it simply: "If you give me a dollar, you will get back much more than a dollar."
This isn't arrogance as much as it's reality. Musk has built multiple billion-dollar companies. He has a track record, relationships, and credibility. If he walked into a venture capital office tomorrow with nothing but an idea, he'd probably walk out with a term sheet. That's just how capital markets work when you have proven execution ability.
Musk described the whole question as an "impossible dichotomy." Either civilization has collapsed (in which case money doesn't matter), or financial systems are still operating (in which case reputation, access to capital, and trust matter far more than your starting balance).
Starting From Scratch, The Real Version
Musk did point to his own early experience as evidence. He arrived in North America at age 17 with "about 2,500 bucks Canadian" (roughly $1,800), along with "one bag of books and one bag of clothes."
That wasn't a theoretical exercise—that was his actual starting point. And while $1,800 is more than $1,000, it's not like it was life-changing capital. What mattered more was what he learned and built from there.
AI Nightmares and the Future
The $1,000 question was just one part of a broader conversation about technology and the future. Musk talked about artificial intelligence and robotics eventually being able to provide "all the goods and services that anyone could possibly want."
But he also admitted the pace of progress keeps him up at night. "I've had a lot of AI nightmares," Musk said, while acknowledging that slowing down development probably isn't realistic.
So there you have it. If you're wondering what Elon Musk would do with $1,000, the answer is either (a) nothing, because society has collapsed, or (b) leverage his reputation to raise real money. It's blunt, but it's also probably the most honest answer you'll hear from a billionaire about hypothetical poverty.
