Tesla CEO Elon Musk has said the United States has “benefitted immensely” from the arrival of highly skilled Indians over the decades, recognising immigrant talent as a key force in shaping America’s technology and innovation landscape. Musk made the remarks during a conversation with Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath on his podcast released on Sunday. During the discussion, Kamath pointed out that the US had traditionally attracted “really smart people” from around the world, leading to what many in India described as a “brain drain.” Musk agreed and said Indian talent had significantly contributed to America’s growth.
Responding to Kamath’s comment on Indian-origin CEOs in global firms, Musk said, “Yes, I think America has benefitted immensely from talented Indians that have come to America.” He added that he admired people who were willing to contribute more than they take. “I’m a big fan of anyone who wants to bully. So, I think anyone who wants to make more than they take has my respect.”
Musk also said aspiring entrepreneurs should strive to be net contributors to society and focus on solving real problems instead of chasing wealth.
‘Money Will Follow Value’
He compared the pursuit of money to the pursuit of happiness and said that value creation should come first. “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, money will come as a natural consequence of that as opposed to pursuing money directly,” Musk told Kamath.
Here’s to delaying gratification. The future belongs to the patient.@elonmusk pic.twitter.com/Z3QiunfCK3
— Nikhil Kamath (@nikhilkamathcio) November 30, 2025
Kamath shared a video clip of the interaction on social media, showing him enjoying a drink with Musk. “Caption this,” he wrote on the post. The black-and-white video opens with Kamath looking through papers before the camera pans to Musk. Both are seen laughing and sipping from cups bearing the SpaceX logo.
