Elon Musk has warned Bill Gates against betting against Tesla again. Musk’s warning also comes along with an ambitious target to transform Tesla into a $30 trillion AI giant. In a post on X, Musk responded to a tweet by sharing his plans for Tesla.
Musk envisions Tesla growing by moving from selling electric vehicles (EVs) to running fleets of robo-taxis and humanoid robots. On social media, he said, “Once Tesla fully solves autonomy and has [its droid] Optimus in volume production, anyone still holding a short position will be obliterated. Even Gates.”
The rivalry between Musk and Gates became public in 2022 when leaked messages showed Musk refused to support Gates’ philanthropic efforts due to Gates’ $500 million bet against Tesla’s stock. Musk said, ‘I cannot take your philanthropy on climate change seriously when you have a massive short position against Tesla, the company doing the most to solve climate change.’
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Once Tesla fully solves autonomy and has Optimus in volume production, anyone still holding a short position will be obliterated. Even Gates.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 2, 2024
Despite Musk’s claims, Tesla has faced difficulties this year. The company was reported to be the worst-performing stock in the S&P 500 in the first quarter of 2024. The company also experienced a drop in vehicle sales in the first half of the year. However, Tesla’s stock is gaining grounds again. The company’s stock jumped 6.5 per cent, trading near a six-month high after rising more than 10 per cent on Tuesday following a smaller-than-expected drop in second-quarter vehicle deliveries.
In the past, Musk has hinted at a new ‘CyberCab’ robo-taxi model and announced potential EV sales growth in 2025 with the introduction of low-cost models. Tesla is also expected to enter the Indian market with its affordable offerings. The Indian government has also reduced the import duties on EVs which was one of the biggest factors stopping Tesla from entering India
