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By Andrew Stanton
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Elon Musk discussed his views on whether aliens exist during a discussion at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Newsweek reached out to Musk’s company SpaceX for additional comment via email.
Why It Matters
The possibility of extraterrestrial life has captivated the American public for decades. The possibility of aliens has been a source for creatives writing books or producing films—as well as theorists who believe humanity has already been visited by aliens. Governments have never confirmed the existence of extraterrestrial life, but debate about its possibility continues.
Read More on Politics
Musk founded SpaceX, a company that has focused on space exploration and worked to colonize Mars. He has frequently discussed the possibility of alien life in space over the years.
What To Know
Musk discussed the possibility of extraterrestrial life during a panel discussion at the World Economic Forum with BlackRock CEO Laurence Fink on Thursday. He said if anybody could confirm there were aliens among humans, it would be him.
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“We have 9,000 satellites up there, and not once have had to maneuver around an alien spaceship. I don’t know. Bottom line is, we need to assume that life and consciousness is extremely rare, and it might only be us,” Musk said. “If that’s the case, then we need to do everything possible to ensure the light of consciousness is not extinguished.”
He said he views consciousness as a candle in a “vast darkness,” which is why he believes it is important to make life “multi-planetary” so it can continue in case of a disaster on Earth.
“That’s the purpose of SpaceX,” Musk added.
Do Most Americans Believe in Aliens? What Polls Show
A YouGov poll from September 2024 found that a majority of Americans—53 percent—believe aliens definitely or probably exist. That poll surveyed 1,135 adults and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.9 percentage points.
A Pew Research Center poll from 2021 found that 65 percent of Americans believe in intelligent life on other planets, while 34 percent do not. Fifty-one percent of Americans believe unidentified flying objects (UFOs) spotted by people in the military are either “definitely” or “probably” evidence of intelligent life outside of Earth, according to the poll.
Scientists have not ruled out the possibility of extraterrestrial life. In September 2025, NASA’s Perseverance rover uncovered rocks in an ancient river that scientists believe could hold clues to microscopic life that may have lived on the planet. Still, there has been no conclusive evidence of alien life.
What Has Elon Musk Said About Aliens?
During an interview with Texas GOP Senator Ted Cruz in 2025, Musk cast doubt that humans would ever find aliens living on Mars, but said they may “find the ruins of a long-dead alien civilization” or “subterranean microbial life.”
He said in 2022, while speaking at a summit hosted by podcast group All-In, that he has never seen “any evidence of aliens,” but that he would be “the first to tweet about it or whatever if I see something."
"I will definitely tell you if there's aliens,” Musk said.
During a previous interview on the Lex Friedman Podcast, Musk said: “If you look at the history of earth, civilization has only been around for one-millionth of Earth’s existence, so if aliens have visited here, say, 100,000 years ago, they would’ve been like, ‘They don’t even have writing.’ Just hunter-gatherers basically.”
Musk also said humans may not see aliens because they “fail to pass these great filters,” one of which being a multi-planet species.
“If you’re a multi-planet species, if something were to happen, whether that was a natural catastrophe or man-made catastrophe, at least the other planet would still be around,” he said. “So you don’t have all the eggs in one basket.”
What People Are Saying
Helen McCaw, former policy expert at the Bank of England, issued a warning about UFOs to The Times of London: “It is entirely possible that government leadership and their central banks have not been properly briefed on the topic. UAP disclosure is likely to induce ontological shock and provoke psychological responses with material consequences.”
Representative Anna Paulina Luna, Florida Republican, to podcaster Joe Rogan in 2025: "Based on the photos that I've seen, I'm very confident that there's things out there that have not been created by mankind."
Roger Wiens, geologist professor at Purdue University, previously to Newsweek: "We have known for a long time that Mars had lakes and rivers, but many people suspect that temperatures were still quite cold, given Mars' distance from the sun.”
What Happens Next
The possibility of aliens existing will likely continue commanding interest from Americans, but there has been no conclusive evidence of intelligent life beyond Earth.
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