Additional Coverage:
- Richest man in the world Elon Musk complains his massive wealth doesn’t make him happy (irishstar.com)
Elon Musk’s Billions Can’t Buy Happiness, He Says, Sparking Online Backlash
San Francisco, CA – Despite being the wealthiest person in the world, tech mogul Elon Musk recently shared a sentiment many might find surprising: his immense fortune doesn’t bring him happiness. The Tesla CEO took to X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday to declare, “Whoever said ‘money can’t buy happiness’ really knew what they were talking about.”
Musk’s tweet, made while his net worth stands at an estimated $668 billion, quickly drew a strong reaction online. Many users criticized what they perceived as complaining about his vast wealth.
Comments ranged from demands to “Give it away then” and “make a difference for good” to more pointed remarks calling him “pathetic, annoying, spoiled, depraved.” Others suggested he donate his money to the poor.
One commenter wryly noted the irony, writing, “Become rich so you can tell others that money isn’t everything.” Another perspective offered was that money provides comfort, but happiness is “a different checkout line.” Musk did not offer any further explanation for his statement.
The tweet comes amidst a challenging period for X, as its offices in France were recently raided by the Paris prosecutor’s cybercrime unit. This action is part of an ongoing investigation into alleged offenses, including unlawful data extraction and complicity in the possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Both Musk and former X CEO Linda Yaccarino have been summoned for hearings in April. Musk has publicly labeled the raid a “political attack,” while X, in a statement, expressed disappointment and accused the Paris Public Prosecutor’s office of an “abusive act.” The company denied any wrongdoing and stated the raid “endangers free speech.”
The investigation, which began in January 2025 focusing on content recommended by X’s algorithm, expanded in July of that year to include Musk’s chatbot, Grok. Yaccarino, who departed X last year, also characterized the actions of French prosecutors as a “political vendetta against Americans,” explicitly stating, “To be clear: they are lying.”
Following the raid, French prosecutors indicated they are now investigating X for potential legal breaches in several areas. These include complicity in the possession or organized distribution of CSAM, infringement of people’s image rights through explicit deep fakes, and fraudulent data extraction by an organized group.