Elon Musk Says People Think Mars Is A Billionaire 'Escape' But It'll Be Dangerous, Cramped, The Food Won't Be Good…And 'You Might Die'

Even the world’s richest man has a soft spot for a greasy cheeseburger. But when it comes to life on Mars? Don’t expect fries with that.

In a mid-December appearance on “The Katie Miller Podcast,” Elon Musk served up his signature blend of cosmic ambition and cold reality.

During a round of rapid-fire questions, host Katie Miller asked if he’d rather save humanity on Earth or guarantee survival on Mars. Musk brushed off the premise entirely. “It’s a false dichotomy,” he said. Earth, he reminded, is “much better than Mars” by every metric—but if we want to become a multi-planet species, “it’s really our only option.”

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Musk was quick to shut down the notion that Mars is some kind of billionaire bolthole. “Sometimes people think… going to Mars is an escape from Earth or that it would be some place where billionaires would go or something like that,” he said. “But actually Mars will be very dangerous… much more dangerous and much less comfortable than Earth.”

In classic Musk fashion, he didn’t hold back on the sales pitch. “It’s going to be uncomfortable,” he said. “The food won’t be as good as Earth. You might die. It’s going to be a mass amount of hard work and it may not succeed.” Still sound like a luxury retreat?

He compared it to the early days of Jamestown, when settlers died in droves just trying to survive. “Maybe if there had been social media back then,” Musk quipped, “they would have been saying, ‘We’re all dying. Here’s videos of us dying.’ Would have probably put a damper on future voyages.”

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While he didn’t explicitly mention his longtime vision of Mars colonization in this particular interview, Musk has consistently urged the need to populate Mars to ensure long-term human survival. The early settlers, in his view, will be pioneers, not passengers—more grit than glamour.

And while Martian cuisine is expected to be bleak, Earth’s still got one unbeatable edge: the cheeseburger. When Miller asked about his favorite food, Musk didn’t hesitate. “American food is my favorite…cheeseburgers are amazing. It’s a genius invention.” He even said if he could only eat one thing forever, it’d probably be a cheeseburger—though he admitted that might get monotonous.

So if you’re picturing a red-planet utopia with billionaire bunkers and gourmet dining, Musk says think again. It’s more likely to be a cramped metal can with ration packs, no ketchup in sight—and zero room for picky eaters.

But hey, if Earth goes down and humanity needs a Plan B? At least someone’s planning ahead. Just don’t expect a drive-thru on Mars.

Elon Musk Says People Think Mars Is A Billionaire ‘Escape’ But It’ll Be Dangerous, Cramped, The Food Won’t Be Good…And ‘You Might Die’

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