Elon Musk, one of the world’s most recognized innovators and entrepreneurs, shared his perspective on building businesses, creating value, and achieving fulfillment in a recent discussion. Musk emphasized that the cornerstone of any successful endeavor is not simply chasing wealth but becoming a net contributor to society. “Anyone who wants to make more than they take has my respect,” he said, underlining his admiration for individuals focused on creating lasting value rather than personal gain alone.

Musk explained that the most effective path to financial success is by providing useful products and services. “If you want to create something valuable financially, you don’t pursue that directly. It’s best to pursue providing useful products and services. If you do that, money will come as a natural consequence.” He stressed that happiness and fulfillment are similarly indirect; they emerge from meaningful work, study, and relationships rather than the direct pursuit of pleasure or wealth.

Entrepreneurship, Musk noted, requires grit, resilience, and an acceptance of risk. “It sounds very obvious, but generally if somebody is trying to make a company work, they should expect to grind super hard and accept that there’s a meaningful chance of failure.” The focus, he insists, should always be on whether the output of your work is worth more than the input—whether you are creating value that exceeds what you take from the world.

Ultimately, Musk frames the pursuit of business success as a pursuit of impact. “Are you a value creator? That’s what really matters: making more than you take,” he concluded, offering a simple yet powerful mantra for aspiring innovators. His guidance reflects a philosophy where hard work, societal contribution, and meaningful output are the true measures of success, not wealth accumulation alone.