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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
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Arwa Mahdawi

Think Musk the billionaire was bad? Brace yourself for Musk the trillionaire

Elon Musk gestures with both hands while looking upward against a dark background
‘Musk may become the first trillionaire, but he won’t be the last: the rich are getting richer at staggering speed.’ Photograph: Reuters

“Whoever said ‘money can’t buy happiness’ really knew what they were talking about,” Elon Musk wrote in February on Twitter/X, the social network he bought for $44bn. He capped the statement with a sad face emoji.

Alas, Musk’s information is outdated. A 2024 study found a substantial difference in happiness between the wealthy and people who are low income. “A greater feeling of control over life can explain about 75% of the association between money and happiness,” the study’s author noted.

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