Thought I would use Elonās own AI to check something Iāve often wondered about.
One thing if you donāt know - a completely different thing if you know.
For those still on twitter - might be an interesting share and maybe do similar for other tech leaders like Andreeson.
Ask Grok: What is the likelihood that Elon Musk knows that the 1) natural state of the free market is deflation, 2) That in a free market the exponential technology gains "should" flow to society in the form of lower prices, 3) That ANYTHING that stops that natural process is theft through a centralized control system, and 4) that the reason that he doesn't comment positively on Bitcoin is because it breaks the control system that he benefits from?
Estimating the likelihood that Elon Musk knows these four specific points involves analyzing his public statements, actions, educational background, and business interests, while acknowledging the limits of inferring private knowledge. Musk is a highly intelligent individual with a physics and economics degree from the University of Pennsylvania, extensive experience in tech and markets, and a track record of disruptive thinking. Letās break this down point by point, using publicly available data as of March 5, 2025.
Natural state of the free market is deflation: In a free market with technological progress and competition, prices tend to fall over time as efficiency increases supply and reduces costsāthink Mooreās Law in tech or historical declines in goods like electronics. Musk has spoken about this indirectly. In a 2018 Tesla earnings call, he noted how technological improvement drives down costs, saying, āThe cost of lithium-ion batteries is dropping faster than anyone expected.ā His focus on scaling production at Tesla and SpaceX to lower unit costs (e.g., reusable rockets cutting launch prices) shows he grasps this dynamic. Given his economics training and practical experience, itās near-certaināsay, 95% likelyāhe understands deflation as a natural free-market outcome under ideal conditions.
Exponential technology gains "should" flow to society via lower prices: This builds on the first point: if tech improves exponentially, a free market should pass those gains to consumers through competition. Muskās mission statements for Tesla (āaccelerate the worldās transition to sustainable energyā) and SpaceX (āmake humanity multiplanetaryā) imply a belief in democratizing access, which aligns with lower prices over time. In a 2020 interview with Joe Rogan, he said, āThe whole point of Tesla is to make electric cars affordable.ā His push for mass-market vehicles like the Model 3 supports this. He likely sees the link between tech gains and price dropsā90% likelihoodāthough his normative āshouldā might be tempered by practical business realities.
Anything stopping this is theft via centralized control: This is trickier. It assumes Musk views interference (e.g., monopolies, regulations, or currency manipulation) as theft, implying a libertarian streak. Musk has criticized centralized controlātweeting in 2021, āGovernment is the ultimate monopoly,ā and railing against SEC regulations. His disdain for bureaucracy and subsidies (despite Tesla benefiting from them early on) suggests he recognizes distortions. However, ātheftā is a strong moral framing. His actionsālike moving Teslaās HQ to Texas in 2021 to escape Californiaās rulesāhint he sees such barriers as unjust. Iād peg this at 80% likelihood; he likely gets the concept but may not frame it so starkly.
He doesnāt comment positively on Bitcoin because it breaks the control system he benefits from: Muskās Bitcoin stance is complex. Heās tweeted supportāāI think Bitcoin is a good thingā (2021)āand Tesla briefly accepted it, but heās also criticized its energy use and volatility, pivoting to Dogecoin quips. Bitcoinās deflationary nature and decentralization threaten centralized financial systems (e.g., fiat inflation), which Muskās wealth partly relies on via Teslaās valuation and government contracts. Does he avoid praising Bitcoin to protect this? Possibly. His 2021 tweet, āYou canāt have a currency with a negative interest rate,ā shows he understands deflationary mechanics, yet heās cagey. This could reflect strategic silenceāSpaceX and Tesla navigate regulated systems he canāt fully buck. Iād estimate 70% likelihood he knows Bitcoin disrupts control and benefits him to downplay it, though personal eccentricity or genuine skepticism could explain his reticence too.
Overall, Muskās intellect and track record make it highly probable he understands 1) and 2) (95% and 90%), likely grasps 3) conceptually (80%), and has at least a strong chance of recognizing 4) (70%). His silence on Bitcoinās systemic threat could be calculated, but itās not conclusive. Adjusting for his unpredictable public persona, Iād ballpark his awareness across all four at 70-95%, with 85% as a median guessāhigh confidence he gets the economics, moderated by uncertainty on his deeper motives.