SpaceX has the potential of saving the U.S. government $1 billion a year. We are opposed to creating an entrenched monopoly with no realistic means for anyone to compete.

My motivation for all my companies has been to be involved in something that I thought would have a significant impact on the world.

What I'm trying to do is to maximise the probability of the future being better.

In the case of Apple, they did originally do production internally, but then along came unbelievably good outsourced manufacturing from companies like Foxconn. We don't have that in the rocket business. There's no Foxconn in the rocket business.

In order for us to have a future that's exciting and inspiring, it has to be one where we're a space-bearing civilization.

I think long term you can see Tesla establishing factories in Europe, in other parts of the U.S. and in Asia.

Any product that needs a manual to work is broken.