Elon Musk, the owner of Tesla, SpaceX, and X, is a prominent advocate for increasing birth rates in the United States.
The advocacy is not just theoretical for Musk; it is a personal practice, as evidenced by his fathering 11 children with three different women. His most recent children, twins, were born through in vitro fertilization (IVF) with Shivon Zilis, a Neuralink executive. Zilis has publicly stated that their relationship was non-physical, and the conception was purely through IVF.
Musk’s push for higher birth rates is driven by his concern over declining populations, particularly among intelligent individuals. He argues that such trends could have dire consequences for society’s future. Musk’s views extend to his controversial stance on voting rights; he has suggested that individuals who choose not to have children should potentially be stripped of their right to vote. He argues that those who opt out of parenthood withdraw from a fundamental societal contribution, warranting a reevaluation of their civic rights.
However, Musk’s perspective on parenting doesn’t account for the varied and complex reasons many choose not to have children. According to a 2021 survey by the Pew Research Center, 56% of childless American adults aged 18 to 49 prefer not to have children, while 43% cite other inhibiting factors. Among these, 29% mentioned age-related concerns, 23% medical issues, and 14% financial constraints.
The financial aspect of raising children in the U.S. is significant, with the estimated cost of raising a child to age 18 nearing $250,000—excluding higher education expenses. These costs are easily manageable for someone like Musk, with a net worth estimated at $191 billion. This stark disparity highlights the challenge of universally applying Musk’s pro-natalist views across diverse socio-economic strata.
Despite Musk’s alarm about a potential demographic crisis, his predictions of a sharp decline in the American population are met with scepticism by some demographers. They caution against simplistic solutions to complex social issues like population decline, suggesting that Musk’s concerns, while not entirely unfounded, may not fully appreciate the broader socio-economic and cultural contexts that influence reproductive decisions.
