Pope Leo warns 'we're in big trouble' if Elon Musk becomes world's first trillionaire

Pope Leo XIV has expressed concern over the stark wealth inequality apparent in today's world, indicating that this divide may widen further. He criticized the wealth gap, highlighting Tesla CEO Elon Musk as a notable instance of excessive executive compensation.

The situation intensified when it became known that Tesla's board had approved a potential deal that could significantly increase Musk's net worth. It is anticipated that he could gain up to $1 trillion in stock options in the coming decade if the company meets certain benchmarks. 

In September 2025, Pope Leo addressed the rising disparities in an interview with Catholic news site Crux. 

"The news that Elon Musk is going to be the first trillionaire in the world: What does that mean and what's that about? If that is the only thing that has value anymore, then we're in big trouble," the pontiff said. 

He added: "CEOs that 60 years ago might have been making four to six times more than what the workers are receiving, the last figure I saw, it's 600 times more than what average workers are receiving."

Among major corporations, CEO compensation in low-median worker pay categories reached an average of $17.2 million in 2024, starkly contrasting with a median worker salary of $35,570 — resulting in a ratio of 632 to 1, according to Fortune.

According to an Institute for Policy Studies analysis of Forbes Real Time Billionaire Data, the net worth of the top 12 billionaires in the U.S. has skyrocketed past $2.7 trillion as of the beginning of this year. That is a massive difference from the $608 billion of combined wealth they had in March of 2020. 

Politicians like Bernie Sanders have been screaming from the rooftops for decades about the wealth inequality gap widening and billionaires not paying their fair share. Trickle-down economics clearly isn't trickling down. 

Sanders recently wrote an op-ed outlining a plan for a 5% wealth tax on America's 938 billionaires, which would raise $4.4 trillion over a 10-year period. 

The Senator from Vermont also noted that Musk alone is worth more than the bottom 53% of American households. Sanders claimed that if this legislation had been enacted last year, the Tesla CEO would've owed $42 billion more in taxes, "leaving him with just $792 billion to survive." 

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While billionaires' wealth skyrockets, their philanthropic contributions lag. Despite the commitments made through The Giving Pledge, many billionaires have not fulfilled their promises to donate a substantial portion of their wealth. 

According to Fortune, of the 256 who signed, only nine have fully complied, and about 80% of the donated money has gone into private foundations rather than direct philanthropy.

While The Giving Pledge organization claims those numbers may misrepresent their intentions, it acknowledges ongoing questions that should inspire more significant contributions from its signatories.

Pope Leo advocates for a redistribution of Musk's and other billionaires' wealth to benefit the planet and to support workers facing difficulties after taxes. The 70-year-old pontiff emphasized the urgency of addressing soaring executive pay, which may pose significant societal issues.

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