47 Morning Update Exclusive Part 2: 1-on-1 w Elon from the White House

Summary

The 47 Morning Update Exclusive Part 2: 1-on-1 with Elon from the White House

Overview

In the latest episode of The 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson, host Ben Ferguson continues his in-depth conversation with Elon Musk, offering listeners a rare glimpse into Musk's visionary plans for space exploration, his entrepreneurial journey, and his unconventional philosophies on innovation and intellectual property. This detailed, long-form summary captures the essence of their discussion, highlighting key insights, notable quotes, and the forward-thinking mindset that drives Musk's endeavors.

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1. Introduction to the Exclusive Interview

Ben Ferguson opens the episode by setting the stage for this exclusive continuation of his interview with Elon Musk. He references a dramatic scenario where astronauts were held as political prisoners in space for an extended mission, ultimately returning home thanks to SpaceX's intervention. This introduction underscores the gravity and real-world implications of Musk's work with SpaceX.

2. Vision for Mars Colonization

First Human Foot on Mars by 2029

Ben: "What year does man first set foot on Mars?" [00:59]

Elon Musk confidently responds, "I think the soonest would be 2029, and I don't think it's more than two to four years beyond that." [01:04]

Musk emphasizes that this timeline is for human missions, not just unmanned probes. He envisions establishing a self-sustaining city on Mars as a critical milestone to ensure humanity's longevity beyond Earth. Musk asserts, "The key threshold is when that city can continue to grow, continue to prosper, even when the supply ships from Earth stop coming." [01:54]

Search for Alien Life

When asked about the odds of discovering alien life, Musk expresses skepticism but remains open to possibilities: "I don't think we're going to find aliens... We may find the ruins of a long-dead alien civilization. That's possible. And we may find subterranean microbial life. That's possible." [01:31-01:37]

3. Technological Feasibility and Timeline

Achieving a Self-Sustaining Mars Settlement

Ben probes further into the technological aspects, questioning whether current advancements can support a self-sustaining Mars settlement within the proposed timeframe. Musk is optimistic, stating, "I think it can be done in 20 years." [03:08]

He elaborates on the necessity of building infrastructure that can thrive independently of Earth, ensuring that extraterrestrial colonies can survive potential global catastrophes on Earth: "Once we're multi-planet species... the probable lifespan of civilization is much greater and how close are." [02:46]

4. Philosophical Foundations of SpaceX

Expanding the Scope of Consciousness

Musk shares his philosophical motivation for founding SpaceX, rooted in the desire to expand humanity's presence in the universe to mitigate existential risks: "We want to expand the scope and scale of consciousness to better understand the nature of the universe... we need to go beyond one planet." [05:06]

He underscores the importance of becoming a multi-planetary species to safeguard civilization against potential self-annihilation through events like nuclear war or catastrophic asteroid impacts.

5. Elon Musk’s Entrepreneurial Journey

From Physics to PayPal and Beyond

Musk recounts his transition from academia to entrepreneurship: "I studied physics and economics in college... I couldn't bear the thought of just watching the Internet happen. So I wanted to be a part of building it." [03:16]

He details the creation of his first internet company in 1995, which developed pioneering web-based maps and directories. This venture was eventually sold to Compaq for approximately $300 million, providing Musk with the capital to pursue more ambitious projects. Reflecting on his financial beginnings, he humorously notes, "I arrived with $2,500, a bag of books and a bag of clothes." [04:42]

Founding SpaceX in 2002

Ben inquires about Musk's decision to start a rocket company: "How do you start a rocket company? Like, what's the first day where you're like, I want to make rockets and I want to go to Mars." [04:55]

Musk responds by highlighting the necessity of a strong philosophical premise to sustain motivation: "In my case, it was that we want to expand the scope and scale of consciousness... we need to go beyond one planet." [05:06]

6. Intellectual Property Philosophy

Open Sourcing Patents to Boost Innovation

One of the standout moments of the interview is Musk's unconventional stance on intellectual property. Ben references a conversation at Boca Chica where Musk revealed his approach: "Patents for those who innovate slowly." [08:16]

Musk explains, "At Tesla, we actually open sourced a lot of patents. We said our patents are available for anyone to use for free... I want to say patents for the week." [08:22-08:37]

He critiques the traditional patent system, arguing that most patents inhibit rather than promote innovation. By open sourcing their technologies, Musk believes that innovation can progress unhindered, as others can build upon SpaceX and Tesla's advancements without legal constraints.

7. Work Ethic and Early Challenges

Starting from Humble Beginnings

Ben delves into Musk's relentless work ethic, asking about the sacrifices he made in his early entrepreneurial days. Musk reminisces about the humble beginnings of his first company, Sub2, where he and his brother lived and worked on a tight budget. "We were like, we're not. We'll just stay in the office... we got some couches that converted into beds..." [09:47-10:01]

He reflects on the grueling schedules and minimal sleep during those formative years: "Several hundred days maybe... I've never thought to count it." [10:55-11:02]

8. Boca Chica: A Testament to Progress

Transforming an Empty Beach into a Rocket Hub

Ben highlights the remarkable transformation of Boca Chica from an empty beach to a bustling hub of rocket manufacturing. He recalls visiting Boca Chica with the President for a Starship launch: "A few months ago, you and I were down in Boca Chica with the President for a Starship launch... five years ago it was an empty beach at the southern tip." [07:53]

Musk proudly notes the rapid progress made in constructing facilities capable of building rockets with incredible precision: "It's now a city and a factory where you're building a rocket ship a month with incredible precision." [07:38-08:01]

9. Conclusion

The interview wraps up with a nod to the ongoing conversation, encouraging listeners to download the full interview with Ted Cruz to hear more insights.

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Notable Quotes Recap

• "I think the soonest [human on Mars] would be 2029." — Elon Musk [01:04]
• "We want to expand the scope and scale of consciousness to better understand the nature of the universe." — Elon Musk [05:06]
• "At Tesla, we actually open sourced a lot of patents... it's maybe a controversial opinion. Most patents inhibit innovation." — Elon Musk [08:16-09:33]
• "We get to build a self-sustaining city on Mars as quickly as possible." — Elon Musk [01:54]
• "I couldn't bear the thought of just watching the Internet happen. So I wanted to be a part of building it." — Elon Musk [03:16]

Final Thoughts

This episode of The 47 Morning Update provides a comprehensive look into Elon Musk's ambitious plans for humanity's future in space, his foundational beliefs driving SpaceX, and his unique perspectives on innovation and intellectual property. Musk's candid reflections on his entrepreneurial hardships and his forward-thinking strategies offer valuable lessons for aspiring innovators and space enthusiasts alike. By bridging the gap between political commentary and cutting-edge technological discourse, Ben Ferguson successfully delivers an engaging and informative conversation that resonates with both newcomers and long-time followers of Musk's ventures.

Transcript

[Ben Ferguson]

Do they sell ICBMs? Does that work?

[Ted Cruz]

Yeah, you got to tell us a story, then I want to know who.

[Elon Musk]

I thought, turns out you can buy anything in Russia. And what do you tell your friends? Yeah, listen, I'm, I'm going to rush advice to my CBMs. I, I might not return.

[Ted Cruz]

You are listening to a 47 Morning Update exclusive with Ben Ferguson. Good Wednesday morning, Ben Ferguson with you. It's so nice to have you on the 47 Morning Update. And this morning is part two of the sit down interview that I was a part of with Elon Musk. This part of the interview you're gonna love because we talk about the astronauts that were caught as political prisoners in outer space. As you know, the astronauts stuck in space for nine months after what was supposed to be a simple eight day mission. Well, they're finally home. Why? Because of elon Musk and SpaceX. So here is part two of that interview with Elon Musk.

[Ben Ferguson]

What year does man first set foot on Mars?

[Elon Musk]

I think the soonest would be 29.

[Ben Ferguson]

29?

[Elon Musk]

Yes, and I don't think it's more than two to four years beyond that.

[Ben Ferguson]

And that's not an unmanned, that's a human being putting his foot on the surface.

[Elon Musk]

Yes. Best case would be 29.

[Ben Ferguson]

And what do you put the odds of finding either alien life or evidence of alien life?

[Elon Musk]

I don't think we're going to find aliens.

[Ben Ferguson]

Okay, but do we find ruins? Do we find remnants?

[Elon Musk]

We may, we may find the ruins of a long dead alien civilization. That's possible. And we may find subterranean microbial life. That's possible.

[Ben Ferguson]

All right, if man lands on Mars in 29, how soon after that do you land on Mars?

[Elon Musk]

Remains to be seen. I'm not sure. The important thing is that we build a self sustaining city on Mars as quickly as possible. The key threshold is when that city can continue to grow, continue to prosper, even when the supply ships from Earth stop coming. At that point, even if something were to happen on Earth, it might not be World War iii, but it might be that a bad virus. Yeah, it might not be. Anything I was saying is like say civilization could die with a bang or a whimper. It may be that civilization dies with a whimper rather than a bang and simply loses the ability to send ships to Mars. So you obviously need Mars to become self sustaining and be able to grow by itself before the resupply ships from Earth stop coming. That, that is the critical civilizational threshold beyond which the probable lifespan of civilization is much greater and how close are.

[Ben Ferguson]

We technologically to be able to do that, to have a self sustaining settlement on the surface of Mars?

[Elon Musk]

I think it can be done in 20 years.

[Ben Ferguson]

How do you turn PayPal into the success it was, which, which then helped launch you to the next one and the next.

[Elon Musk]

Yeah. So I studied physics and economics in college, which is a good foundation for understanding how the economy works and how the, how reality works. And then was going to do a PhD at Stanford in advanced ultracapacitors actually as a potential means of energy storage for electric transport. Put that on hold to start an Internet company. Essentially came to the conclusion that the Internet was one of those rare things. And I could either watch it happen while a grad student or participate. And I figured I could always go back to grad school. You know, grad school is going to be kind of the same, but I couldn't bear the thought of just watching the Internet happen. So I wanted to be a part of building it. So I created an Internet company. We did the first maps, directions, yellow pages, white pages on the Internet. I actually wrote the first version of software just by myself in 95. And we ended up selling that to Compaq Texas company, I guess. Yeah. For about $300 million in cash about four years after I graduated.

[Ben Ferguson]

Wow.

[Elon Musk]

So I should say, just to preface that, I graduated with about $100,000 in student debt. So it wasn't.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah, you and me both.

[Elon Musk]

Yeah, yeah.

[Ben Ferguson]

Where's my 300 million?

[Elon Musk]

Right? I know. And when I first arrived in North America, I arrived with $2,500, a bag of books and a bag of clothes.

[Ben Ferguson]

All right, so 2002, you start SpaceX. Like, how do you start a rocket company? Like, what's the first day where you're like, I want to make rockets and I want to go to Mars. Like, what do you do on day one?

[Elon Musk]

So I think you have to start with a. Some sort of philosophical premise in order to have. In order for the, in order to be, in order to be highly motivated, you have to have some philosophical foundation. In my case, it was that, that we want to expand the scope and scale of consciousness to better understand the nature of the universe. And in order to, to expand. Expand consciousness, we need to go beyond one planet. If you're, if we're on one planet, there's. There's too much risk. You know, hopefully Earth civilization prospers very far into the future, but it may not. There's always some risk that we are. We self annihilate through nuclear war or that There's a big meteor that takes us out like the dinosaurs.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yep.

[Elon Musk]

There's always some risk if all your eggs are in one basket. So it's going to be better if we're multi planet species and then once we're multi planet species that the next step would be to be multi stellar and have civilization among, on, on many different star Systems. So in 2001, I didn't think that I could, I didn't think I could sell a rocket company. So I, I thought I'd take some of the money from PayPal. In that case, I think it was about $180 million after tax or something like that. And I thought, you know, I don't need $180 million, so I'll spend a bunch of it on a philanthropic Mars mission to get the public excited about going back to Mars or going to Mars, I should say. Yeah, Mars was always going to be the destination after the moon. Right. In fact, if you told people in 1969 that it would be 2025 and we've not even gone back to the.

[Ben Ferguson]

Moon, let alone, it's hard to believe.

[Elon Musk]

Let alone Mars, they'd be like, what happened? Did civilization, did civilization collapse?

[Ted Cruz]

Stop.

[Elon Musk]

Yeah, like it would be incomprehensible that we've not been to Mars by now. If you told people this after landing on the moon in 69, why do.

[Ben Ferguson]

You think in 50 years America never went back to the moon?

[Elon Musk]

Well, we destroyed the Saturn V rocket that could take people to the moon and had the space shuttle which could only go to low Earth orbit. And then there really hasn't been anything to replace. No vehicle has been made since then that can go to the moon or to Mars. Until the SpaceX Starship rocket.

[Ben Ferguson]

Yeah.

[Elon Musk]

So can't go to Mars if you don't have the ride.

[Ben Ferguson]

So a few months ago, you and I were down in Boca Chica with the President for a starship launch. And it is incredible what you built in Boca Chica. You know, five years ago it was an empty beach at the southern tip.

[Elon Musk]

Of Texas and bar. Yeah.

[Ben Ferguson]

And it's now a city and a factory where you're building a rocket ship a month with, with incredible precision.

[Elon Musk]

Yeah.

[Ben Ferguson]

But one of the things you said to me when we were down there that really stood out to me is you said your philosophy on intellectual property. I've talked to lots of CEOs, they're like, we fight to guard our IP. And you had a very different approach. What's your view of ip?

[Elon Musk]

Patents for the week? Patents for Those who innovate slowly.

[Ben Ferguson]

I literally do not know anyone else in business who would say something like that. It was a startling. And what Elon said down there is, he said, look, this stuff, I assume everyone will steal everything, but by the time they steal, it will be five generations beyond and it won't matter.

[Elon Musk]

Yes, at Tesla, we actually open sourced a lot of patents. So we said our patents are. Anyone can use them for free. Really? Yeah. We only do patents at Tesla to avoid patent trolls causing trouble. So we'll try to look ahead. Say, okay, patent trolls are going to trial. Patent trolls, you know, file patents to block certain things, will file patents and then open source that make it free. I mean, I want to say patents for the week. Now, there are a few cases in, say, with pharmaceuticals where it might cost you a billion dollars to do a phase three human trial, but then subsequently the drug is very cheap to manufacture. So cases. There are some, in my opinion, which is massively reduce what can be patented and say. Because the whole point of patenting is to maximize innovation, not inhibit it. And in my opinion, it's maybe a controversial opinion. Most patents inhibit innovation. They do not help it.

[Ted Cruz]

How many nights have you slept at your offices, you think your career percentage wise, where you say, I just got to take this nap basically because my body forces me to and I got to get back to work fast and efficiently without going somewhere else.

[Elon Musk]

Well, I guess it started out with the first company, sub2, which is a terrible name, but the first Internet company. We were able to rent an office which was like in a leaky attic, essentially for $500 a month. And the cheapest apartment we could find was $800 a month. So like, and we only had about $5,000 between my brother and I. So we're like, we're not. We'll just stay in the office. So we got some couches that converted into beds, and we'd kind of sleep at night. And then we'd just have to like turn the beds back into couches before anyone came. And then we'd chart the YMCA down the road. And so that initially was the. For several months, what we did, I was in great shape, you know, work out the Y. I still remember that YMCA at Page Mill El Camino in Palo Alto.

[Ben Ferguson]

So that was a long time ago.

[Elon Musk]

So it's been, I don't know, I've never thought to count it, but several hundred days maybe. I don't know.

[Ted Cruz]

Now, if you'd like to hear the rest of the conversation, make sure you download verdict with Ted Cruz right now, wherever. You're listening to this podcast and you can hear part two in its entirety, and I'll see you back here tomorrow.