Point to where I said it was a need. I said that's the plan for NASA. Personally I think it's a much better alternative to charging toward another planet without any space infrastructure and without understanding the full effects on the human body.

As someone who was previously a massive fan of his - no he cannot. Even if SpaceX has the capability within the next few years investors are unlikely to finance such a venture - especially due to high risk of failure and poorly understood risks. If SpaceX makes it to Mars it will be through NASA, after we full understand the effects and challenges of space on humans through lunar colonisation efforts.