Featured Image Credit: Brandon Bell / Staff / Getty
If running Tesla, lording it over X, and overseeing the Department of Government Efficiency wasn't enough for Elon Musk, the world's richest man has grand plans to colonize Mars. Among his many business ventures, the tech mogul is known for heading up SpaceX.
Whereas Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin largely seems focused on the space tourism sector, SpaceX is looking further afield as Elon Musk prepares to take over the Red Planet.
While no humans have attempted to fly to Mars, let alone set foot on its rocky surface, Musk hopes to change that with SpaceX.
Robots and landers might've given us a few fleeting glimpses at Mars' inhospitable environment, but we're still a way off from Ridley Scott's The Martian becoming a reality. Don't worry, Matt Damon, you're safe for now.
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Many are unconvinced that Musk will be able to pull off his Martian endeavours, with experts warning his mission(s) could lead to 'catastrophic' mass death.
As well as offering his own sperm to help colonize Mars, Musk has high hopes that we can achieve self-sustaining life there in the next 20 to 30 years, with him planning on launching human flights by 2031.
Away from scientists concerning themselves with whether humans can even survive the unknown radiation levels on the surface of Mars, Musk is once again busying himself with politics.
Even as he prepares to step away from the DOGE and politics as his 'special government employee' limit nears, he's already mulling over how things will work on Mars.
When one account posted on X about corruption in USA politics, Musk responded, saying, "Mars will have direct democracy, which is less prone to corruption."
With people voting directly for how they want things to be run on Mars, it takes politicians out of the equation. We're not sure what President Donald Trump would say about his so-called 'First Buddy' trying to put him out of a job on Mars, but looking to the future, this is the way Musk thinks Mars should be run.
This isn't the first time Musk has championed direct democracy on Mars, and speaking way back at 2016's Recode’s annual Code Conference (via Vox), he discussed how he envisions Mars avoiding a Lord of the Flies-esque disaster: "The form of government on Mars would be a direct democracy, not representative.
Mars will have direct democracy, which is less prone to corruption
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 29, 2025
"So it would be people voting directly on issues. And I think that’s probably better because the potential of corruption is substantially diminished in a direct versus a representative democracy.”
Following his latest musings, people shared their own thoughts.
One skeptic wrote: "Do you know a democracy is nothing more than 'Mob Rules'? In a democracy the minority is persecuted by the majority which is why so many fled Europe and came to America."
Another added: "Most European countries have direct democracy. Can’t say European example is very inspiring."
A third said: "Less prone to corruption, but much more prone to abuses of individual rights. Also, most people are idiots and shouldn’t be voting anyway. I said it."
Someone even asked, "Will you run for President of Mars?" Musk hasn't responded to that request, but knowing him, we wouldn't be surprised if that thought hasn't at least crossed his mind.
With the first uncrewed Starship missions hoping to blast off in 2026, questions about how things will run on Mars might need answering sooner than expected.
