Elon Musk Sparks Fury After Claiming White People Are Becoming 'Virtually Extinct'

The accelerating demographic shift showing the shrinking population of White people has become a public discourse on social media after Elon Musk's controversial post. The Tesla and SpaceX CEO sparked a fierce debate on X (formerly Twitter) after announcing that the Whites are going from a minority to becoming 'virtually extinct.'

Musk made the statement in response to a report showing a declining White population trend. Many, however, find the post overly dramatic due to the use of extreme language; while others feel that it was polarising, tapping into the anxiety of identity and demographic change. It also highlights the projections, which foresee a shift to a minority-White status, bringing up more serious issues like migration and birth rates.

Elon Musk's Viral Post About White People Going 'Virtually Extinct'

Musk took to X (formerly Twitter) and quoted a post from Wall Street Apes, mentioning that 'White people are on the verge of extinction.' According to the post, the global White population has decreased from 35% a century ago to 8% in 2021.

'If current trends continue, Whites will go from being a small minority of world population today to virtually extinct!' Musk wrote.

Netizens' Reactions

Musk's post went viral, and the reaction was immediate. However, netizens have mixed opinions on demographic change.

A group of users who agree with Musk's views about low birth rates and migration supported the tech mogul. For them, the post was true, but mainstream media and political leaders suppress it.

Another group found the post misleading, alarming, and culturally loaded. For them, Musk's use of the word 'virtually extinct' misrepresents the findings of the demographic research, also the word is associated with the promotion of far-right or 'Great Replacement' conspiracy theories, claiming that Whites are intentionally replaced by non-White migrants.

Others also made a subtle dig at Musk because they felt that he was speaking from a standing point of a white-supremacist.

'What if there were fewer white people as a percentage of global population. Why would that matter in any way?' one asked. Another replied, saying, 'It matters when they think white is the "superior" race.'

Medhi Sadaghdar reminded Musk that light skin evolved from dark skin after humans were exposed to regions with less sunlight, citing the migration out of Africa. He then assured Musk not to worry because '"whites" will evolve back into existence, since all you care about is the skin color.'

Why Did the White Demographic Population Decline?

There are several reasons why the population of the Whites has declined over the years, and among the primary reasons are sub-replacement fertility and immigration demographics.

Firstly, most industrialised nations, including the US and UK, experienced a drop in total fertility rates (TFRs) below the replacement level for decades. According to a 2016 report from Time, 'More white people are dying than are being born in 17 states.'

Secondly, the non-White groups are increasing due to higher relative birth rates among minority populations and sustained net international migration. Per Brookings, immigration sustains the population in the US by offsetting the white natural decrease through higher birth rates among Hispanics and Asians.

According to the analysis, without immigration, the country's population would shrink dramatically.