Google founder Larry Page once said that if he were to be hit by a bus, he would leave all of his wealth to Elon Musk. A video clip of Steve Jurvetson recounting the anecdote to Elon Musk was recently shared by an X user. In the video, Jurvetson, an early investor in Tesla and SpaceX, described the casual conversation at a Google event stating that Page viewed mission-driven corporations as more effective than nonprofits for achieving large-scale impact. Musk replied to the clip writing ‘I miss Larry Page’. Elon Musk and Larry Page featured in Fortune’s 2016 list of “BFFs” had a close relationship, with Musk even staying at Page’s home when visiting Silicon Valley. The two tech billionaires have drifted apart over the years.
What caused differences between Elon Musk and Larry Page
Elon Musk and Larry Page falling out reportedly resulted from disagreements over artificial intelligence, culminating in Musk poaching a top Google AI scientist, Ilya Sutskever, for his own OpenAI venture. As per reports, Musk expressed concerns about Page’s approach to AI safety, believing he was “cavalier” about the risks.Tensions escalated when Musk recruited Sutskever to OpenAI. This move, which included a substantial salary and bonus package, reportedly angered Page, who felt betrayed.Musk reportedly defended his actions, stating that a “countervailing force” was necessary due to Page’s perceived lack of concern for AI safety.The biography details a 2013 birthday celebration where Musk and Page argued about AI’s potential to replace humans. Musk also unsuccessfully lobbied against Google’s acquisition of DeepMind. He later resigned from OpenAI in 2018, before the launch of ChatGPT, a decision he recently called a mistake. Despite their past closeness, the friendship appears to have dissolved completely due to their contrasting visions for the future of AI.
When Larry Page said he would give his money to Elon Musk
Notably, Jurvetson’s anecdote is not the only instance when Page said to give his wealth to Musk. Page has previously said he would rather give his money to Elon Musk than donate it to charity through a livestream. During a 2014 TED Talk with Charlie Rose, Page said: “He wants to go to Mars, to back up humanity.”“That’s a worthy goal, but it’s a company, and it’s philanthropical,” he added.
