> And, no, personally I don’t think Tesla or SpaceX count as giving back.

Yeah, well, that’s just, like, your opinion, man. Say what you will about the tenets of Martian colonialism but at least it’s an ethos.

> Why can’t our billionaires at least just slink off to the lovely beaches of some island somewhere. Oh wait, egos…

One person’s egotism is another’s genuine belief. I’m personally not surprised someone who had the ambition and luck to be a billionaire would continue doing things they believe in. I’m not even convinced it would be beneficial for them to disappear. What happens to the immense amount of capital they control?

> But Mars? Mars? How does that sound enjoyable? I actually hope he makes it there.

Does he actually want to go to Mars personally? I thought the idea was that he wants humanity to be multi-planetary.