DALLAS, Texas (KRLD) — In a recent interview, Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk shared that he thinks there should be a "maximum" age restriction for elected United States officials.
During the interview with Business Insider, CEO Mathias Döpfner, Musk explained his thoughts, saying we shouldn't try to keep people alive forever, otherwise, we will never change.
"I don't think we should try to have people live for a really long time. That it would cause asphyxiation of society because the truth is, most people don't change their mind," Musk said. "They just die. So, if they don't die, we will be stuck with old ideas, and society wouldn't advance."
As for himself, Musk said that even though he thinks maintaining his health is important, he isn't afraid to die. Instead, he said it would "come as a relief."
Musk shared his thoughts on the declining birthrate, saying it is the "single biggest threat to the future of human civilization."
The outspoken billionaire then turned his gaze towards politics, saying that it would be ideal for those in office to be within 10 to 20 years of the average population they govern.
"I think we already have quite a serious issue with gerontocracy, where the leaders of so many countries are extremely old," Musk told Döpfner. "In the U.S., it's a very, very ancient leadership. And it is just impossible to stay in touch with the people if you are many generations older than them."
Musk has been known to take shots at elected officials in the U.S., including an exchange with Senator Elizabeth Warren, who called him out for what he pays in taxes.
There have been several other interactions between elected officials and Musk, but he shared with Döpfner that he thinks the founding fathers made a mistake.
When talking about the U.S. specifically, Musk shared that while the founding fathers put a minimum age, they forgot to put maximum ages "because they did not expect that people will be living so long."
"They should have," Musk said.
He explained his opinions on the matter by saying that elected leaders need to be "reasonably in touch with the bulk of the population."
"If you're too young or too old, you can't say that you will be attached," Musk said.
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