A United Nations official has responded to Tesla Inc. TSLA CEO Elon Musk’s recent tweets by saying he can explain how the world’s richest man can help solve world hunger.
What Happened: United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) Director David Beasley said on Twitter that he is ready to meet Musk anywhere on Earth, or in space, to explain how the billionaire can help the organization in alleviating world hunger.
Beasley added that while a donation of $6 billion from Musk would not solve world hunger, it would help prevent geopolitical instability, mass migration and save 42 million people on the verge of starvation.
The WFP, the food-assistance branch of the United Nations, also supported its director by urging the top 400 billionaires in the U.S. to make a one-time donation and help the organization fight famine.
Why It Matters: Beasley’s latest comments come after Musk responded on Sunday to a Twitter post that highlighted the UN official’s statements in an earlier interview with CNN and also noted that the WFP was not able to solve world hunger despite raising $8.4 billion in 2020.
Musk said he is ready to sell $6 billion worth of Tesla stock “right now” if Beasley could explain how the amount would help solve world hunger.
Musk is the world’s richest person with a net worth of $335 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. The $6 billion amount would be less than 2% of Musk’s current net worth.
The growth in Musk’s wealth is due to a surge this year in the stock of Tesla, which last week joined the club of a select few companies valued at more than $1 trillion.
Price Action: Tesla shares closed almost 8.5% higher in Monday’s trading at $1,208.59.
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