In his first sit-down media interview on September 14, the pontiff criticized the massive compensation package granted to Tesla CEO Elon Musk, which he said reflected the growing imbalance in global wealth distribution.

“CEOs that 60 years ago might have been making four to six times more than what the workers are receiving, it’s now 600 times more than the average workers are receiving,” Pope Leo said. He added that Musk appears to be “on his way to becoming the world’s first trillionaire.”

The Pope warned against the dangers of wealth being treated as the sole measure of value. “If that is the only thing that has value anymore, then we’re in big trouble,” he said.

The interview was conducted by Elise Allen, senior journalist at the Catholic news website Crux. She noted that a biography of Pope Leo is expected to be released at the end of July.

Reflecting on his early months in the papacy, Leo admitted that taking on the role of a scrutinized world leader has been a challenge. He described it as a “huge learning curve,” saying it has required him to “jump in on the deep end of the pool very quickly.”