Investor's Corner
‘Tesla will be great long-term,’ Musk says as stock slide continues
Tesla CEO Elon Musk affirmed his confidence in the electric automaker by stating it will be great long-term, despite the stock slide that continues to affect shares.
Tesla shares (NASDAQ: TSLA) have slid considerably in 2022, along with many other automotive and technology stocks. On Tuesday, the decrease continued as the stock reached levels as low as $156.91. At the time of writing, shares were trading at $161.35, down 3.86 percent on the day.
Amongst a broader market decline, Tesla shares have been affected by various external factors this year. Along with Musk’s $44 billion acquisition of Twitter earlier this year, which has Tesla loyalists divided, the company has experienced an increase in competition due to more models and manufacturers entering the sector, and supply chain issues still stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Once worth $1 trillion, Tesla has declined to a valuation that is worth roughly half of that. While the second-most valuable car company, Toyota, is only worth around $197 billion, Tesla still holds the title of the most valuable automaker on Earth.
Musk: Tesla will be great long-term
In a response to WholeMarsBlog, Musk said, “Tesla will be great long-term, but doesn’t control macroeconomic tides.”
Tesla will be great long-term, but doesn’t control macroeconomic tides
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 13, 2022
From a macro perspective, Musk is right. Tesla is up over 600 percent in the past five years. Over the past year, a fifty percent decrease in stock price has been the much more surfaced trend amongst media outlets, but the company has not been the only automaker to experience a rough 2022. Nevertheless, the debate regarding what to do with holdings still rages on.
Tesla Shares: Buy or Sell
Discussions amongst Tesla community members have been polarizing, with many die-hards sticking to their plan to hold shares. Jason DeBolt, who is one of the most notable Teslanaires, retired from his corporate job at the age of 39 thanks to his earnings through Tesla stock. Although the company is still being affected by a broader market decline, DeBolt has considered loading up even more shares.
I’m down $11 million on $TSLA since last year and I’m more bullish on Tesla than ever.
I’m seriously considering selling my house to buy more shares. Like wtf.
Tesla will continue growing revenue 50% annually (as it has since 2014), and profits will grow even faster than that.
— Jason DeBolt ⚡️ (@jasondebolt) December 8, 2022
Others, however, are unwilling to ride the wave and have either decided to sell because of market conditions or because of personal opinions on Musk.
Cancelling my @Tesla Model X order that’s been unfulfilled for over a year now and selling my TSLA stock. They need a cancel option that simply says “Elon Musk”. I won’t give my money to someone that no longer shares the same values I hold important. Likely he never held them. pic.twitter.com/yhxSgJUxZw
— Tom Kulzer (@tkulzer) December 13, 2022
Tesla’s 2022 Performance…and others
Tesla’s 59.68 percent decrease in 2022 defies all of the things the company has accomplished for the year. It opened two new production facilities, expanded global production capacity to well over one million vehicles, and is set to deliver over one million cars in a year for the first time.
Tesla launched the Semi last month, adding to its penetrable markets through commercial projects. The company still overwhelmingly leads the U.S. market share for EVs, so what’s the issue?
Tesla, while it has much more to worry about than just building cars and energy systems, is not the only car company experiencing a downturn this year. Tesla shares are down 59.88 percent this year, but here’s how others are doing in 2022:
- Ford stock: $F – down 37.99% this year
- General Motors stock: $GM – down 36.91% this year
- Rivian stock: $RIVN – down 75.63% this year
- Lucid stock: $LCID – down 80.42% this year
- Polestar stock: $PSNY – down 67.38% this year
Disclosure: Joey Klender is a TSLA Shareholder. I do not hold any other automotive stocks currently.
I’d love to hear from you! If you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please email me at joey@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @KlenderJoey, or if you have news tips, you can email us at tips@teslarati.com.
Investor's Corner
Ron Baron states Tesla and SpaceX are lifetime investments
Baron, one of Tesla’s longest-standing bulls, reiterated that his personal stake in the company remains fully intact even as volatility pressures the broader market.
Billionaire investor Ron Baron says he isn’t touching a single share of his personal Tesla holdings despite the recent selloff in the tech sector. Baron, one of Tesla’s longest-standing bulls, reiterated that his personal stake in the company remains fully intact even as volatility pressures the broader market.
Baron doubles down on Tesla
Speaking on CNBC’s Squawk Box, Baron stated that he is largely unfazed by the market downturn, describing his approach during the selloff as simply “looking” for opportunities. He emphasized that Tesla remains the centerpiece of his long-term strategy, recalling that although Baron Funds once sold 30% of its Tesla position due to client pressure, he personally refused to trim any of his personal holdings.
“We sold 30% for clients. I did not sell personally a single share,” he said. Baron’s exposure highlighted this stance, stating that roughly 40% of his personal net worth is invested in Tesla alone. The legendary investor stated that he has already made about $8 billion from Tesla from an investment of $400 million when he started, and believes that figure could rise fivefold over the next decade as the company scales its technology, manufacturing, and autonomy roadmap.
A lifelong investment
Baron’s commitment extends beyond Tesla. He stated that he also holds about 25% of his personal wealth in SpaceX and another 35% in Baron mutual funds, creating a highly concentrated portfolio built around Elon Musk–led companies. During the interview, Baron revisited a decades-old promise he made to his fund’s board when he sought approval to invest in publicly traded companies.
“I told the board, ‘If you let me invest a certain amount of money, then I will promise that I won’t sell any of my stock. I will be the last person out of the stock,’” he said. “I will not sell a single share of my shares until my clients sold 100% of their shares. … And I don’t expect to sell in my lifetime Tesla or SpaceX.”
Watch Ron Baron’s CNBC interview below.
@teslarati :rotating_light: This is why you need to use off-peak rates at Tesla Superchargers! #tesla #evcharging #fyp ♬ Blue Moon – Muspace Lofi
Elon Musk
‘You chose ambition’: Tesla Chair hails shareholders for backing Elon Musk’s vision
Denholm stated that the vote highlighted TSLA investors’ continued confidence in both Musk’s leadership and Tesla’s vision for an autonomous, AI-driven future.
Tesla Chair Robyn Denholm has issued a letter to shareholders celebrating what she described as “overwhelming support” at this year’s Annual Meeting, framing the approval of Elon Musk’s trillion-dollar pay plan as a defining moment in Tesla’s mission.
Denholm stated that the vote highlighted TSLA investors’ continued confidence in both Musk’s leadership and Tesla’s vision for an autonomous, AI-driven future.
Denholm hails shareholder confidence
In her letter, which was posted by the electric vehicle maker on X through Tesla’s official handle, Denholm thanked investors for backing Proposals One, Three, and Four, items she said reaffirm Tesla’s “Master Plan Part IV” and its broader mission to accelerate sustainable prosperity. She characterized the shareholder vote as “a vote of confidence in our visionary leader, Elon,” crediting Musk with transforming Tesla into one of the most valuable companies in history.
“In a year when many tried to sow doubt and negativity, you chose a better future,” Denholm wrote. “You chose ambition. You chose to see what is possible. You chose to back the people who have been in the room since the earliest days, fighting for the mission that first brought us all together—a better world for humanity,” she wrote in her letter.
Her comments framed Musk’s pay package approval not only as a governance milestone but as a symbolic endorsement of Tesla’s long-term trajectory across autonomy, AI, and energy innovation.
“A whole new book” of innovation
Denholm highlighted Tesla’s push toward autonomy as the company’s next major growth phase, citing the Robotaxi program and Optimus humanoid robot as examples of bringing artificial intelligence “into the physical world.” She described this period as potentially “the largest value-creation event in Tesla’s history, and quite possibly in the history of humanity.”
The letter reaffirmed the board’s commitment to direct engagement with shareholders through Tesla’s online platform and live events. Denholm emphasized that feedback from investors “informs our strategy and strengthens us” as Tesla prepares for new technology rollouts and expanded AI capabilities.
“You, our shareholders, have given us the mandate and the runway to execute. We are humbled, and rest assured that we do not take that responsibility lightly… Thank you for believing in Tesla. Thank you for standing with us. We look forward to years of bold leadership and pioneering innovation, fueled by our commitment to creating a better future for all,” she wrote.
Elon Musk
Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey endorses Elon Musk Tesla pay package
Dorsey framed the pay package as an engineering and governance crossroads for Tesla.
Twitter co-founder and Square CEO Jack Dorsey has publicly backed Elon Musk’s leadership ahead of Tesla’s pivotal shareholder vote, which is expected to be decided later today at the company’s 2025 annual meeting.
Dorsey framed the pay package as an engineering and governance crossroads for Tesla.
Dorsey’s public nod framed as an engineering defense of Musk
In a post on X, Dorsey weighed in on Tesla’s post about being in a “critical inflection point.” As per the Twitter-co-founder, the vote on Musk’s 2025 performance award is not about compensation. Instead, it’s about ensuring the path for the company’s engineering in the coming years.
“This is not about compensation. it’s about ensuring a principled (and exciting!) engineering approach to the company’s future,” Dorsey wrote on his post, later stating that users of Cash app with TSLA shares would be able to vote for the CEO’s proposed 2025 performance award.
Elon Musk appreciated Dorsey’s endorsement, responding to the Twitter co-founder’s post with a heart emoji. Musk has been pretty thankful for the support for is fellow tech executives, also thanking Michael Dell recently, who also advocated for its proposed 2025 performance award.
Musk’s support
While Elon Musk’s 2025 performance award has received opposition from proxy advisors such as Glass Lewis and ISS, it has received quite a lot of support from longtime bulls such as ARK Invest, and, more recently, Schwab Asset Management following calls from TSLA retail shareholders.
“Schwab Asset Management’s approach to voting on proxy matters is thorough and deliberate. We utilize a structured process that focuses on protecting and promoting shareholder value. We apply our own internal guidelines and do not rely on recommendations from Glass Lewis or ISS. In accordance with this process, Schwab Asset Management intends to vote in favor of the 2025 CEO performance award proposal. We firmly believe that supporting this proposal aligns both management and shareholder interests, ensuring the best outcome for all parties involved,” Charles Schwab told Teslarati.
-
News1 week agoTesla shares rare peek at Semi factory’s interior
-
Elon Musk1 week agoTesla says texting and driving capability is coming ‘in a month or two’
-
News6 days agoTesla makes online ordering even easier
-
News7 days agoTesla Model Y Performance set for new market entrance in Q1
-
News1 week agoTesla Cybercab production starts Q2 2026, Elon Musk confirms
-
News6 days agoTesla is launching a crazy new Rental program with cheap daily rates
-
News1 week agoTesla China expecting full FSD approval in Q1 2026: Elon Musk
-
News1 week agoTesla Model Y Performance is rapidly moving toward customer deliveries