‘Peace or Piece?’ Elon Musk takes a swipe at Trump’s Board of Peace in Davos debut
He joked that it sounded like “a little piece of Greenland, a little piece of Venezuela.” “All we want is peace,” Musk added, drawing laughter from the audience.
- Jan 24, 2026,
- Updated Jan 24, 2026 10:24 PM IST
Tech billionaire Elon Musk opened his first-ever appearance at the World Economic Forum with a pointed quip aimed at US President Donald Trump’s newly announced “Board of Peace,” a remark that quickly became one of the most talked-about moments at Davos this year.
Referring to the initiative during a conversation with World Economic Forum interim co-chair Larry Fink, Musk suggested the name itself was misleading. “I heard about the formation of the Peace Summit, and I thought — is that peace or piece?” he said, joking that it sounded like “a little piece of Greenland, a little piece of Venezuela.”
“All we want is peace,” Musk added, drawing laughter from the audience.
The “Board of Peace,” chaired by Trump, was proposed to oversee the rebuilding of war-torn Gaza, though its charter does not limit its scope to the occupied Palestinian territory. The document circulated to invited countries describes the board as an international body aimed at promoting stability, restoring lawful governance and securing enduring peace in regions affected or threatened by conflict.
Musk’s appearance itself marked a shift. The world’s richest man has repeatedly criticised the World Economic Forum in the past, branding it elitist and disconnected from everyday concerns. Yet on Thursday, he took the Davos stage for a wide-ranging discussion that blended geopolitics, technology and futurism.
Turning to technology, Musk laid out ambitious plans for Tesla’s humanoid robot, saying the company could begin selling the machines as early as next year. He predicted that humanoid robots could eventually outnumber humans, transforming labour, productivity and economic growth.
Musk argued that advances in artificial intelligence and robotics would unlock an era of unprecedented abundance. He claimed the current pace of AI development could soon lead to systems that are smarter than any human, possibly by the end of this year or no later than next year.
Musk also revisited his long-standing fascination with space exploration and Mars colonisation. When asked about his personal ambitions beyond Earth, he joked: “People ask me if I want to die on Mars, and I’m like: yes — but not on impact.”
Tech billionaire Elon Musk opened his first-ever appearance at the World Economic Forum with a pointed quip aimed at US President Donald Trump’s newly announced “Board of Peace,” a remark that quickly became one of the most talked-about moments at Davos this year.
Referring to the initiative during a conversation with World Economic Forum interim co-chair Larry Fink, Musk suggested the name itself was misleading. “I heard about the formation of the Peace Summit, and I thought — is that peace or piece?” he said, joking that it sounded like “a little piece of Greenland, a little piece of Venezuela.”
“All we want is peace,” Musk added, drawing laughter from the audience.
The “Board of Peace,” chaired by Trump, was proposed to oversee the rebuilding of war-torn Gaza, though its charter does not limit its scope to the occupied Palestinian territory. The document circulated to invited countries describes the board as an international body aimed at promoting stability, restoring lawful governance and securing enduring peace in regions affected or threatened by conflict.
Musk’s appearance itself marked a shift. The world’s richest man has repeatedly criticised the World Economic Forum in the past, branding it elitist and disconnected from everyday concerns. Yet on Thursday, he took the Davos stage for a wide-ranging discussion that blended geopolitics, technology and futurism.
Turning to technology, Musk laid out ambitious plans for Tesla’s humanoid robot, saying the company could begin selling the machines as early as next year. He predicted that humanoid robots could eventually outnumber humans, transforming labour, productivity and economic growth.
Musk argued that advances in artificial intelligence and robotics would unlock an era of unprecedented abundance. He claimed the current pace of AI development could soon lead to systems that are smarter than any human, possibly by the end of this year or no later than next year.
Musk also revisited his long-standing fascination with space exploration and Mars colonisation. When asked about his personal ambitions beyond Earth, he joked: “People ask me if I want to die on Mars, and I’m like: yes — but not on impact.”