Google co-founder Larry Page once considered leaving fortune to Elon Musk
The two billionaires were reportedly close friends before disagreements regarding artificial intelligence risks cooled their relationship.
Google co-founder Larry Page once expressed that he might consider leaving his entire fortune to Elon Musk instead of a traditional charity, according to a Times of India report.
The idea was highlighted during a 2014 TED interview with Charlie Rose, where Rose reminded Page of his previous confidence in Musk's ability to shape the future.
Page agreed with the sentiment, stating that Musk's ambition to make humanity a multiplanetary species by going to Mars was a form of philanthropy.
The remark reportedly originated a year earlier at a 2013 Stanford event during the ENCORE Award. Venture capitalist Steve Jurvetson recalled Page saying at a Google lunch that if he were hit by a bus, he should leave his wealth to Musk.
While the two entrepreneurs shared interests in space exploration and the future of humanity, their relationship reportedly became strained over artificial intelligence (AI).
Musk has warned about the dangers of advanced AI and the necessity for safeguards, whereas Page has been associated with a more optimistic view of technological progress.