Elon Musk says his Mars colony ‘will make humans multiplanetary’ after being accused of ‘hoarding wealth’
ELON Musk has revealed how he plans to spend his vast fortune after Bernie Sanders accused the billionaire of hoarding wealth.
The Tesla and SpaceX boss said he would use his $170 billion (£120bn) fortune to help humanity spread to other planets – a pledge he has made several times in the past.
Musk is the world's second richest man after Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, a fact highlighted by Sanders over the weekend.
"We are in a moment in American history where two guys – Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos – own more wealth than the bottom 40 per cent of people in this country," the US Senator tweeted.
"That level of greed and inequality is not only immoral. It is unsustainable."
Musk defended himself with the assertion that he would use his fortune for the good of humanity.
SpaceX has plans to build a manned colony on Mars sometime in the 2030s, a mission Musk has said will save our species from extinction.
"I am accumulating resources to help make life multiplanetary and extend the light of consciousness to the stars," he wrote.
Senator Sanders tweeted in reply: "Space travel is an exciting idea, but right now we need to focus on Earth and create a progressive tax system so that children don’t go hungry, people are not homeless and all Americans have healthcare.
"The level of inequality in America is obscene and a threat to our democracy."
Musk hit the big time after selling PayPal – which he co-founded – for $1.5billion in 2002.
The South Africa-born entrepreneur used his $100million share of the funds to set up various companies, including SpaceX.
The company now flies dozens of rockets a year carrying cargo to the International Space Station and placing satellites into orbit.
Musk is known for rarely taking holidays and last year announced plans to sell "almost all" of his possessions including his many California homes.
“You should ask why I would want money," Musk said in January after briefly overtaking Bezos as the world's richest man.
"The reason is not what you think. Very little time for recreation. Don’t have vacation homes or yachts or anything like that."
He added: "About half my money is intended to help problems on Earth and half to help establish a self-sustaining city on Mars to ensure the continuation of life (of all species) in case Earth gets hit by a meteor like the dinosaurs or WW3 happens and we destroy ourselves."
Musk hopes to send a million people to Mars in his lifetime using a 1,000-strong fleet of SpaceX rockets.
In a series of tweets last year, he outlined how his Starlink plans would open up space travel to anyone, regardless of their income.
What is SpaceX?
Here's what you need to know...
SpaceX is a cash-flushed rocket company that wants to take man to Mars.
It was set up by eccentric billionaire Elon Musk in 2002 and is based in Hawthorne, California.
SpaceX's first aim was to build rockets that can autonomously land back on Earth for refurbishment and re-use.
The technology makes launching and operating space flights more efficient, and therefore cheaper.
SpaceX currently uses its reusable Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets to fly cargo to the International Space Station (ISS) for Nasa.
It also carries satellites and other space tech into orbit for various government agencies and multinational companies.
The company took astronauts to the ISS for the first time in 2020.
Other future missions involve carrying tourists to the ISS and astronauts to the Moon and Mars.
Musk has repeatedly said he believes humanity must colonise Mars to save itself from extinction.
He plans to get a SpaceX rocket to the Red Planet by 2027.
"Needs to be such that anyone can go if they want, with loans available for those who don't have money," he wrote.
Musk's plan involves building an expansive fleet of Starship vehicles, which comprise a huge rocket topped by a bullet-shaped spacecraft.
SpaceX says reusable rockets that can land and take off again make space travel more cost effective, accessible and sustainable.
However, the team has a long way to go before they can conduct Starship's first manned flight.
Musk is targeting a Mars cargo mission by 2022 and a manned flight to the Red Planet by 2024.
In other news, the world’s first reality show filmed in space will follow a contestant on a 10-day trip to the ISS in 2023.
Acids may have destroyed any evidence of ancient life on Mars, according to a new study.
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And, a Nasa has unveiled a new lunar lander that could put astronauts back on the Moon in 2024.
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