Davos 2026: Elon Musk jokes about dying on Mars: 'Yes, just not on impact'

Elon Musk made his first-ever appearance at the World Economic Forum in Davos and in classic Musk style, he did it with a viral one-liner. 

Speaking at a fireside chat with BlackRock Chairman and CEO Laurence D. Fink at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Musk said he fully intends to travel to Mars once SpaceX’s Starship system is operational.

Catch our exclusive coverage of WEF 2026 at Davos here

“The trip is six months each way. The planets align every two years,” Musk said, when asked if he would go to Mars.

When Fink followed up by asking whether Musk wanted to die on Mars, the tech billionaire said “People ask if I want to die on Mars. I say yes, just not on impact.”

Musk has repeatedly said that making life multi-planetary is crucial for the long-term survival of civilisation. Starship, SpaceX’s fully reusable heavy-lift rocket, is designed to carry both cargo and people to the Moon, Mars and beyond.

SpaceX plans to send uncrewed Starship missions to Mars first, followed by human missions later in the decade.

Watch the full interview here