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Elon Musk says money can’t buy happiness. Research suggests it can — up to a point.

by with No Comment Xpandfy

Elon Musk wants you to know that the money hasn’t made him happy.

“Whoever said ‘money can’t buy happiness’ really knew what they were talking about,” Elon Musk wrote in a post on X on Thursday with a sad-face emoji.

The SpaceX and Tesla CEO is by far the richest person in the world. Per the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, he is worth $668 billion. The second-richest person in the world, Larry Page, is worth $285 billion.

Musk’s wealth has soared by $49 billion since the start of the year, buoyed by SpaceX’s high valuation and news of its merger with his AI startup, XAI.

So, is Musk right or wrong that money can’t buy you happiness?

Studies show that money does bring happiness, but there could be a limit for the ultrawealthy.

David Bartram, an associate professor of sociology at the University of Leicester, told Business Insider that while wealth and happiness are linked, “It’s very much a matter of ‘diminishing returns.'”

“Once you’ve got a few million, anything extra is meaningless for happiness,” he said.

Bartram said for the very wealthy, “happiness is probably best achieved by having a sense that you’ve done some good in the world, and that you’ve treated people around you with care and kindness. It’s not exactly rocket science.”

A 2021 study by Matthew Killingsworth, a senior fellow at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, found that happiness and feelings of well-being increased in tandem with a person’s rising income.

However, the amount of money needed for happiness becomes an exponentially moving goalpost, Killingsworth concluded in a 2024 paper.

While the data he analyzed did not examine what millionaires or billionaires are experiencing, Killingsworth said it was “plausible” that the pattern would continue among the world’s wealthiest.

Musk discussed the relationship between happiness and wealth in a recent conversation with Nikhil Kamath on the “People by WTF” podcast.

“Aim to make more than you take. Be a net contributor to society,” Musk said in November.

“It’s kind of like the pursuit of happiness. You know, if you want to create something valuable financially, you don’t pursue that. It’s best to actually pursue providing useful products and services. If you do that, then money will come as a natural consequence, as opposed to pursuing money directly,” he added.




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I work in a research lab and have kids under 7. These are the science-based gifts that they’ve enjoyed most over the years.

by with No Comment Xpandfy

  • I work in a research lab and enjoy giving my kids toys that make them think a bit.
  • STEM-based toys like cookbooks, building kits, and circuit sets foster learning and fun at home.
  • These are the six toys my kids, 3 and 6, keep going back to play with again and again.

It’s exciting to shop for kids, especially around the holidays, but it can be overwhelming with all the options available. I’m a mom to a 3-year-old and a 6-year-old, and I work in a scientific research lab, so I gravitate toward toys that can be both educational and fun.

Over the years, my kids have tried out a lot of STEM-based toys. These are the ones that they return to again and again, and they also happen to be ones that I know are challenging their brains in all the right ways.

“The Ultimate Science Cookbook for Kids” incorporates STEM concepts into edible creations

The author’s son follows a recipe from a STEM-based cookbook for kids.

Courtesy of Anne James

I bought this Highlights cookbook for my son last Easter, and have since purchased a handful more to gift to friends and relatives. My 6-year-old frequently requests to make recipes from this cookbook, which covers a wide range of scientific topics.

Each recipe has a scientific description alongside it, and the recipes range from easy (building a pyramid with cheese cubes and grapes, teaching basic engineering skills) to multiple-step (think along the lines of chocolate chip cookies — an opportunity to talk about chemical reactions and how baking soda leavens the cookies), so there’s something for everyone (even if you’re not prepared!).

STEM building kits spark interest in engineering and energy use


Completed STEM build kids.

The author says her younger kids are able to enjoy these wooden building kits intended for children 8 and older with adult supervision.

Courtesy of Anne James.

My parents have gifted a few Poraxy and Yutin STEM wood building kits — vehicles, more vehicles, and lanterns — to my kids. While geared more toward ages 8 and up, my younger kids enjoy making these kits with help from an adult.

Many of the kits run on batteries, but there’s also a solar-charged helicopter and car that you can use to discuss the differences in power, as well as the building concepts.

The Ferris wheel model uses slow gears and a fast motor, introducing gear speed reduction. The kits involve attaching wires (positive and negative) to battery power, teaching simple polarity (which end of the battery is positive or negative?). My kids enjoy playing with the vehicles, and the lanterns are often used at bedtime.

Snap Circuit kits teach how electronics work


A Snap Circuit kit that the author borrowed from her local library.

The author said her children ask to borrow these circuit-based kits from their library several times a year.

Courtesy of Anne James

My kids often love to grab a Snap Circuit kit, labeled for ages 8 to 108, when we visit our local library. Our branch has the kit in a large plastic carrying case, available to check out upon request. I like to borrow the kit a few times a year as a special activity during school breaks or when the weather is poor, and my kids are always excited to bring it home.

My son and daughter are able to work on the circuit board with a little help from me. The kit has a variety of build setups, some reminiscent of physics labs I did in school, but you can also create your own setups.

This toy teaches how practical objects, such as an alarm, a switch, or a lightbulb, work. Beyond the basics of electricity, physics, and engineering, this kit also encourages critical thinking.

The World of Eric Carle’s gears book appeals to toddlers


The author said she often gifts this book to toddlers.

Courtesy of Anne James

“Turn, Crank, Zoom!” is a book that I have repeatedly bought as a gift for toddlers. The text encourages young readers to turn the gears in certain directions or ways to see what happens. The book focuses on colors and motor skills, evoking a sense of curiosity, while being illustrated in the Eric Carle style that kids gravitate toward.

For more expansive gear play, Kaleido gears allow more free play


Quercetti Kaleido Gears are shown in the box

The author said this toy allows for even more gear play.

Courtesy of Anne James

Recommended for ages 3 and up, Quercetti Kaleido Gears give kids the freedom to explore. The gears and axles attach to a board, which kids can connect to a crank to see simple mechanical reactions as the gears move.

These gears could make a great gift to accompany the Eric Carle book. There is also a boxed set aimed toward ages 5 to 12, which includes chains and other components that require finer motor skills. The kits are interchangeable, so both of my kids can play with the gears together.

Marble Run is a classic toy that never goes out of style


The author shows off a bath marble run toy.

The author said her kids are big fans of marble run toys, and especially enjoy this version made for bathtime.

Courtesy of Anne James

Marble run toys have been created in all sorts of designs, and my kids have access to multiple versions.

My son enjoys playing with a bath marble run set, which features pieces with suction cups that attach to the wall. The bath set requires more structural design planning than traditional marble runs, as the pieces must fit flat against the wall.

Our friends own one of the more advanced GraviTrax marble run systems — those can be quite the puzzle, even as an adult! The junior GraviTrax set will be wrapped under our Christmas tree this year.




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