Given that Elon Musk is one of the world’s richest men, you’d certainly want to keep on his good side.
However, the billionaire has revealed that he has an easy way to tell if someone is lying – especially in job interviews.
In fact, he uses the same simple questions when he’s hiring staff (Jobseekers, take note.)
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The SpaceX founder revealed the tactic whilst appearing at the World Government Summit, back in 2017.
At the time, Musk had been discussing future manned missions to Mars when he was asked how he would select his team.
After a brief pause, the billionaire revealed that he tended to go on ‘gut feeling’ but that there were key questions he’d asked any astronauts.
“My interview questions are always the same,” he confessed, adding: “I say tell me the story of your life and the decisions you made along the way and why you made them.”
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He continued: “Also tell me about some of the most difficult problems you’ve worked on and how you solved them.”
Whilst you may think he’d end up hearing rather rehearsed answers, the Tesla founder revealed that it’s actually a good way to spot a liar in an interview.
Musk then explained that most people wouldn’t be able to go into detail if they were relying on someone else’s work.
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“The people that really solved the problem, know exactly what they how they solved it…they know the little details…,” the billionaire stated.
“The people that pretended to solve the problem can maybe go one level and then they get stuck!”
Whilst he might not have a problem assembling a crew, Musk is set to spend an eye-watering £2.4 billion ($3b) on going where no man has gone before.
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Earlier this year, SpaceX shared plans for their proposed Starship with an impressive animated rendering of the craft.
Set to take to the skies as early as 2029, the SpaceX Starship will be able to carry up to 100 people to Mars on a journey.
However, it won’t be a quick trip, with the distance to Mars roughly 250 times greater than the trip to the Moon – meaning astronauts could be travelling for up to six months.
It’s hoped that the red planet will eventually become a second home for humanity, with a permanent colony eventually being established.
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Meanwhile, NASA is currently working on a nuclear-powered spacecraft, which they hope will dramatically cut the time needed to travel to Mars.
Here’s hoping they can reach for the stars.
Katherine Sidnell