Elon Musk: You Shouldn’t Have More Referees Than Players on the Field

Elon Musk: I don't think there should be no regulators, but you shouldn't have more referees than players on the field.

“It's not that I don't think there should be regulators. You can think of them like referees in sports, where some are needed, but you shouldn't have so many that you can't kick the ball without hitting one.

In most fields in the US, the regulatory burden has grown over time to the point where it's like having more referees than players on the field, a natural consequence of extended prosperity with no existential war to act as a cleansing function for unnecessary laws and regulations.

Throughout history, when legislators legislate and regulators regulate without such a reset, more laws and regulations pile up each year until everything is illegal.”

Interview at the Qatar Investment Forum, May 20, 2025