Mexican magnate Carlos Slim has cast doubt on whether entrepreneur Elon Musk will reach Mars in 2028, and during a press conference held this Monday in Mexico City, he proposed a unique bet.
In response to a reporter’s direct question about the billionaire businessman’s intentions to colonize Mars, the owner of Grupo Carso sent a message to Musk:
“He says that by 2028, he will reach Mars and come back. That is, he will take people there and return. Tell him I’ll place a little bet that it’s not true,” he said.
The bet, according to Carlos Slim, involves paying Elon Musk one dollar if he manages to reach the “red planet”… two dollars if he does it in 2030. But that’s not all: the bill must have a message that says “I was wrong, you were right”.
Here’s the moment:
I bet Elon Musk a dollar he won’t make it to Mars in 2028: Carlos Slim. pic.twitter.com/Lx63AHlcaj
— Uno TV (@UnoNoticias) February 10, 2025
Elon Musk reveals the date he will colonize Mars
Earlier this month, Elon Musk revealed the exact date for his planned trip to Mars to colonize the planet “and save humanity.” To do this, he said, he has created a schedule that will lay the groundwork for establishing a self-sustaining city beyond Earth.
The project is set to be completed by 2054, the year when, according to Musk, humanity will be able to inhabit Mars. The city is expected to house up to one million people, although they will have to pay 500,000 dollars to move to the planet.
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How does Elon Musk plan to colonize Mars?
The entrepreneur’s schedule has several progressive stages, which he plans to begin in two years:
- 2026: Starship will complete its first orbital flight.
- 2028: The first unmanned mission will arrive at Mars to prepare the ground.
- 2030: The first manned mission to Mars will take place.
- 2035: Greenhouses, factories, and housing will begin to be built on Mars.
- 2040-2050: The creation of self-sufficient cities and a network of tunnels to facilitate the transport of people and resources will begin.
The billionaire’s plan is supported by U.S. President Donald Trump, who even announced that he will work to have NASA and SpaceX (Musk’s company) collaborate to ensure the first manned mission to Mars takes place during his term.
Experts doubt Elon Musk will send humans to Mars
Carlos Slim is not the only one who doubts whether Elon Musk can achieve his plan to send humans to Mars before 2029, as several experts have also considered it nearly impossible.
One of them is Volker Maiwald, an aerospace engineer at the German Aerospace Center (DLR), who stated that it is unlikely SpaceX will reach Mars with the first manned mission, at least within five years (a half-decade).
“A mission to Mars will be the greatest endeavor humans have ever undertaken,” he said, adding that the Starship spacecraft from SpaceX is not viable for such a mission.
The scientist emphasized that even NASA has faced challenges in advancing manned missions to the Moon. Additionally, he pointed out the radiation on Mars, which would make reaching the planet even more difficult.
Why did Elon Musk’s rocket explode?
On January 16, 2025, Elon Musk made the first attempt to launch his Starship rocket from SpaceX on a mission to Mars; however, the mission failed, as the spacecraft disintegrated in the sky just eight minutes after launch, having reached speeds of over 19,000 kilometers per hour and an altitude of 143 kilometers.
According to Musk, the cause of the rocket explosion was a liquid oxygen leak, which caused the internal pressure of the spacecraft to increase significantly. Despite this, the entrepreneur remains determined to launch a second rocket this month.
“Nothing so far suggests delaying the next launch beyond next month,” he stated.
