Billionaires Bet Big on the Moon Economy

Deutsche Bank and tech leaders like Elon Musk are investing in lunar exploration and development.

Published on Feb. 16, 2026

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Billionaires and tech companies are increasingly focused on the 'Moon economy,' with firms like Intuitive Machines, Blue Origin, and SpaceX racing to develop lunar technology and infrastructure. This new space race is driven by government contracts, the potential for low-gravity operations, and a desire to one-up competitors, rather than a clear economic rationale for a lunar economy.

Why it matters

The renewed interest in the Moon reflects a broader trend of billionaires and tech companies gambling on speculative futurist ventures, often without clear long-term benefits to society. This diverts resources and attention away from more pressing issues facing civilization, like climate change and sustainable development.

The details

Deutsche Bank has set its sights on Houston-based Intuitive Machines, a company developing lunar exploration tech. Meanwhile, Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin and Elon Musk's SpaceX are competing for NASA's Artemis program contracts to build lunar landers. Musk has even shifted SpaceX's focus to building a 'self-growing city' on the Moon, a pivot from the company's original mission of colonizing Mars.

  • In 2025, the White House stated a renewed interest in Moon missions as part of the Artemis program.
  • Deutsche Bank analyst Edison Yu says the Moon economy 'may have just gone through a key inflection point.'

The players

Intuitive Machines

A Houston-based company developing technology for lunar exploration.

Blue Origin

Jeff Bezos' space company that is aiming to develop lunar landers for NASA's Artemis program.

SpaceX

Elon Musk's space exploration company that is shifting its focus to building a 'self-growing city' on the Moon, a pivot from its original mission of colonizing Mars.

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What they’re saying

“We can potentially achieve that in less than 10 years, whereas Mars would take 20+ years.”

— Elon Musk (Kotaku)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

This new space race among billionaires reflects a broader trend of tech leaders gambling on speculative futurist ventures without clear long-term benefits, diverting resources and attention away from more pressing issues facing civilization.