--- title: "Elon Musk Says He Is Now the “Imperator of Mars”" description: "First, Musk claimed the title \"Technoking of Tesla.\" Now, the billionaire has added the phrase \"Imperator of Mars\" to his Twitter bio." date: "2021-04-12" modified: "2021-04-12" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/elon-musk-imperator-mars" categories: - "Astronomy" - "Elon Musk" - "Future Society" - "Mars" - "Space" - "The Industrialists" tags: - "elon musk" - "mars" - "Starship" - "the digest" --- # Elon Musk Says He Is Now the “Imperator of Mars” ![First, Musk claimed the title "Technoking of Tesla." Now, the billionaire has added the phrase "Imperator of Mars" to his Twitter bio.]() *\Image: JD Lasica / Futurism\* ## Imperator of Mars Another week, another preposterous outburst by SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk. Last month, Musk [claimed the title]() "Technoking of Tesla," a mostly nonsensical distinction. Now, the billionaire has added the phrase "Imperator of Mars" to his Twitter bio. Characteristically, nothing in particular seems to have prompted the move. It's also a bit unclear what he means. Imperator is a term that usually refers to a commander in chief of the ancient Romans, [*Newsweek* pointed out]() in the wake of the update. Is Musk suggesting he's taking martial control over the Red Planet? Will his space company declare martial law? With this mercurial billionaire, anything is on the table. ## Mars Base Alpha The bio might also be a nod to the hit 2015 action film "Mad Max: Fury Road," which starred Charlize Theron as Imperator Furiosa, a driver in a post-apocalyptic Australia. Perhaps the explanation is simpler than that, though. Musk's ambitions with SpaceX's Starship are sky high, with Musk suggesting [one thousand of them]() could one day allow us to establish a permanent foothold on Mars. After all, we've learned over the years not to take Musk's mutterings at face value. There's a considerable chance Musk's new-and-improved Twitter bio is the result of a couple of hours of idly scrolling through his Twitter mentions. Besides, it's still far too early for Musk to declare himself emperor of Mars. The prototypes of his company's Mars-bound rocket have yet to launch to orbit — or even land without [erupting in a violent fireball](). Carthaginian general Hannibal, one of the Romans' most reviled enemies, would laugh him out of the streets of ancient Rome. **READ MORE:** [Imperator Meaning As Elon Musk Changes Twitter Bio to 'Imperator of Mars']() \[*Newsweek*\] **More on Musk:** *[Famed Neurobiologist Slams Neuralink’s Monkey Demo]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()