Elon Musk says he finds it fascinating to read books about war to ensure civilization does not repeat the mistakes of the past

• Elon Musk says he is fascinated by war and history and reads extensively on the subjects.
• Musk says he tries to do whatever is "most likely to ensure that the future is good for humanity."

Elon Musk says he is fascinated by warfare and history books because he can learn lessons from them.

In an interview with Mathias Döpfner, the CEO of Insider's parent company, Axel Springer, the tech mogul discussed Russia's war with Ukraine, space travel, and what makes human beings special.

He also revealed that he sometimes feels "lonely," and that he finds it hard to give away money "effectively."

"I read a lot of books, and for some reason, I am fascinated by war and history in general," Musk said.

A couple of months ago, Musk told Döpfner that he was fascinated by Ernst Jünger's book "Storm of Steel." When asked why this book is important to him, Musk responded: "Jüngers' book is an excellent personal account of World War I. The lesson taken from that book is we don't ever do that again."

Amid Döpfner's remark that there is "big controversy" around that book due to claims that it is glorifying war, Musk responded: "It is definitely not!"

He added: "For me, it is just fascinating to read about history. I mean, learn the lessons of history, such that we do not repeat the mistakes of the past."

After challenging Vladimir Putin to fight for the fate of Ukraine, Musk renewed his calls for Russia's president to be stopped. "We cannot let Putin take over Ukraine," Musk said.

He added it was surprising to see such a war take place "in this day and age."

The Tesla and SpaceX CEO's mention of Putin reflected his remarks about how he thinks he can be "helpful in conflicts."

"I try to take a set of actions that are most likely to improve the probability that the future will be good. And obviously, sometimes I make mistakes in this regard." He added: "I do whatever I think is most likely to ensure that the future is good for humanity."

In regards to the US government's response to the Russian invasion, Musk said during the interview that he thinks it has done more than people may realize. He added: "It has just not been very public."

Musk also said, however, that the US has a "very, very ancient leadership." He further questioned how leading figures can "stay in touch with the people" if they are several generations apart from most of the population.

Musk has previously suggested that an age limit should be set for those running for political office.

Many voters are not in favor of focusing on the age of older candidates, however. In 2019, 27% of Democratic voters said candidates shouldn't attack their rivals for being too old.