Elon Musk says 'civilization is going to crumble' if people don't have more children.
Wall Street Journal event MondayThe tech billionaire said low and rapidly declining birth rates are "one of the biggest risks to civilization."concerns such as climate changeMusk added that too many "good, smart people" think there are too many people in the world and that the population is growing out of control.
Entrepreneur and business magnate Elon Musk gestures during a visit at the Tesla Gigafactory plant under construction, on August 13, 2021 in Gruenheide near Berlin, eastern Germany."It's completely the opposite," Musk said, urging people to look at the data. "If people don't have more children, civilization is going to crumble. Mark my words."
When asked if this is why he has so many children, the father of six said he's trying to set a good example, adding that he has to practice what he preaches. Analysts at Morgan Stanley said in a note to investors in July that the "movement to not have children owing to fears over climate change is growing and impacting fertility rates quicker than any preceding trend in the field of fertility decline."
To support their argument, they pointed to surveys, academic research and Google data that shows climate change is directly and indirectly accelerating the decline in fertility rates.