Elon Musk, the billionaire tech CEO known for his ambitious ventures, has denied a New York Times report suggesting he volunteered his sperm to help establish a colony on Mars. The July 11 report claimed Musk had directed his team to plan for a Mars habitat, citing "two people familiar with his comments" who stated that Musk had offered his sperm for the cause.
Musk has publicly refuted these claims. Responding to a post sharing the article on X (formerly Twitter), Musk stated, "Best to hear it in the words I have used in many interviews over the years. I have not fwiw ‘volunteered my sperm.’" He further clarified that no one at SpaceX has been directed to work on a Mars city, emphasizing the current focus is on reaching Mars first.
Despite Musk's denial, the rumour has spread rapidly across news outlets and social media. The report highlighted ongoing projects at SpaceX, including plans for "small dome habitats," the development of spacesuits to withstand Mars' harsh environment, and research on human reproduction on Mars.
Musk's vision for Mars is well-known. He has expressed his goal to build a city of one million people on Mars by 2050 and plans to launch an average of three starships daily. In 2020, he discussed this ambitious timeline, aiming for 1,000 flights per year.
Musk has also considered the potential use of cryptocurrency on Mars. Initially skeptical about using Bitcoin due to its long transaction settlement times, he later suggested it might be feasible with some limitations. He proposed the need for a localized network on Mars to facilitate transactions.