Just looking at the temperature range on Mars. It's 1.5x the distance from the sun as earth and the surface temp ranges from a balmy 70F to -225F.
Elon specifically has this dream of colonizing mars, but it seems unrealistic. Perhaps in the future there could be an outpost where humans can visit for extended periods of time, but living there forever seems kind of sucky.
why think we're not already there? there's every reason to think there's at least one breakaway civ, if not 2.
If they could charge us for the air to breath, they would do it. But I doubt there is many places in the universe like earth. I doubt they could find another paradise so quick.
I dont understand the need to keep a big secret if that were the case. With that being said, there is definitely enough money missing from the budget to have a few mars colonys. I dont see the elite living in places like the moon/mars, when they got somewhere like bermuda. And plenty of subjects to subject to their will.
No point in being the elite if you cant use people for whatever you want.