Connect with us

Investor's Corner

Major Tesla shareholder criticizes Elon Musk amidst pay vote

Daniel Oberhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Published

on

One of Tesla’s largest individual shareholders has spoken out against CEO Elon Musk and his stake in the company, as investors vote on the CEO’s recently rejected 2018 pay package.

After a Delaware judge ruled in favor of a shareholder in a lawsuit in January, officially voiding Musk’s 2018 compensation package worth $55.8 billion, Tesla is now holding an investor vote over whether to approve or deny the pay plan as part of its upcoming Annual Shareholder’s Meeting. Musk has also requested a new compensation package with more stock, and thus, more voting control, even threatening to develop artificial intelligence elsewhere if he doesn’t get them.

Leo KoGuan, who is one of Tesla’s largest individual stakeholders, posted on X on Friday criticizing Musk for selling shares over the last few years, despite his asking for more voting control as part of the ongoing compensation vote. KoGuan also called Musk a “magician,” his supporters “brainless suckers,” and he referred to the proposed package as a “robbery attempt.”

He also notes that, although Musk has sold around $39 billion Tesla shares since the stock peaked in 2021, he still has a 13.4-percent stake in the company, although he wants an additional 10 percent. KoGuan says that he paid significantly more for his very small amount of shares in the company, amounting to around $3.5 billion for just 0.8 percent of the company’s shares.

The statements followed a similar post made by KoGuan just 20 minutes earlier, in which he claimed that Tesla’s mission to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy was just a “ruse to suck in naive investors and engineers.” He followed up with another post blatantly saying shareholders should vote no:

https://twitter.com/KoguanLeo/status/1786942715411972167

This isn’t the first time that KoGuan has been critical of Musk, though he was generally a supporter of the Tesla CEO just a few years ago. KoGuan said last month that Musk should consider “fading away and appointing his replacement” if he isn’t willing to spend more time on Tesla. He also said in January that Musk is “killing shareholders and Tesla,” adding that he wouldn’t have invested in the company had he known this before.

Voting on the package and other proposals began when Board Chair Robyn Denholm filed the company’s proxy statement. Tesla and Denholm have both expressed support for the ratification of Musk’s pay package, as well as for the company’s intent to move incorporation from Delaware to Texas.

Advertisement

“We do not agree with what the Delaware Court decided, and we do not think that what the Delaware Court said is how corporate law should or does work,” Denholm wrote in the filing. “So we are coming to you now so you can help fix this issue—which is a matter of fundamental fairness and respect to our CEO.”

Tesla will hold its Annual Shareholder Meeting on June 13, and shareholders can vote on ratifying Musk’s 2018 pay plan between now and then. The company has also launched a dedicated web page detailing how to cast shareholder votes and suggesting that investors vote yes on two proposals, which you can see here. You can also find Tesla’s full proxy statement here.

Elon Musk explains why he wants 25% voting share at Tesla: “I just want to be an effective steward of very powerful technology”

What are your thoughts? Have you voted on Tesla’s Shareholder Meeting proposals yet? Let me know how you voted at zach@teslarati.com, find me on X at@zacharyvisconti, or send us tips at tips@teslarati.com.

Advertisement

Zach is a renewable energy reporter who has been covering electric vehicles since 2020. He grew up in Fremont, California, and he currently lives in Colorado. His work has appeared in the Chicago Tribune, KRON4 San Francisco, FOX31 Denver, InsideEVs, CleanTechnica, and many other publications. When he isn't covering Tesla or other EV companies, you can find him writing and performing music, drinking a good cup of coffee, or hanging out with his cats, Banks and Freddie. Reach out at zach@teslarati.com, find him on X at @zacharyvisconti, or send us tips at tips@teslarati.com.

Advertisement
Comments

Investor's Corner

Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirms bullish view on Tesla after record Q3 deliveries

The firm reiterated its Overweight rating and $355 price target.

Published

on

(Credit: Tesla)

Cantor Fitzgerald is maintaining its bullish outlook on Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) following the company’s record-breaking third quarter of 2025. 

The firm reiterated its Overweight rating and $355 price target, citing strong delivery results driven by a rush of consumer purchases ahead of the end of the federal tax credit on September 30.

On Tesla’s vehicle deliveries in Q3 2025

During the third quarter of 2025, Tesla delivered a total of 497,099 vehicles, significantly beating analyst expectations of 443,079 vehicles. As per Cantor Fitzgerald, this was likely affected by customers rushing at the end of Q3 to purchase an EV due to the end of the federal tax credit, as noted in an Investing.com report. 

“On 10/2, TSLA pre-announced that it delivered 497,099 vehicles in 3Q25 (its highest quarterly delivery in company history), significantly above Company consensus of 443,079, and above 384,122 in 2Q25. This was due primarily to a ‘push forward effect’ from consumers who rushed to purchase or lease EVs ahead of the $7,500 EV tax credit expiring on 9/30,” the firm wrote in its note.

A bright spot in Tesla Energy

Cantor Fitzgerald also highlighted that while Tesla’s full-year production and deliveries would likely fall short of 2024’s 1.8 million total, Tesla’s energy storage business remains a bright spot in the company’s results.

Advertisement

“Tesla also announced that it had deployed 12.5 GWh of energy storage products in 3Q25, its highest in company history vs. our estimate/Visible Alpha consensus of 11.5/10.9 GWh (and vs. ~6.9 GWh in 3Q24). Tesla’s Energy Storage has now deployed more products YTD than all of last year, which is encouraging. We expect Energy Storage revenue to surpass $12B this year, and to account for ~15% of total revenue,” the firm stated. 

Tesla’s strong Q3 results have helped lift its market capitalization to $1.47 trillion as of writing. The company also teased a new product reveal on X set for October 7, which the firm stated could serve as another near-term catalyst.

Continue Reading

Investor's Corner

Tesla just got a weird price target boost from a notable bear

Published

on

Credit: Tesla Manufacturing

Tesla stock (NASDAQ: TSLA) just got a weird price target boost from a notable bear just a day after it announced its strongest quarter in terms of vehicle deliveries and energy deployments.

JPMorgan raised its price target on Tesla shares from $115 to $150. It maintained its ‘Underweight’ rating on the stock.

Despite Tesla reporting 497,099 deliveries, about 12 percent above the 443,000 anticipated from the consensus, JPMorgan is still skeptical that the company can keep up its momentum, stating most of its Q3 strength came from leaning on the removal of the $7,500 EV tax credit, which expired on September 30.

Tesla hits record vehicle deliveries and energy deployments in Q3 2025

The firm said Tesla benefited from a “temporary stronger-than-expected industry-wide pull-forward” as the tax credit expired. It is no secret that consumers flocked to the company this past quarter to take advantage of the credit.

The bump will need to be solidified as the start of a continuing trend of strong vehicle deliveries, the firm said in a note to investors. Analysts said that one quarter of strength was “too soon to declare Tesla as having sustainably returned to growth in its core business.”

JPMorgan does not anticipate Tesla having strong showings with vehicle deliveries after Q4.

There are two distinct things that stick out with this note: the first is the lack of recognition of other parts of Tesla’s business, and the confusion that surrounds future quarters.

JPMorgan did not identify Tesla’s strength in autonomy, energy storage, or robotics, with autonomy and robotics being the main focuses of the company’s future. Tesla’s Full Self-Driving and Robotaxi efforts are incredibly relevant and drive more impact moving forward than vehicle deliveries.

Additionally, the confusion surrounding future delivery numbers in quarters past Q3 is evident.

Will Tesla thrive without the EV tax credit? Five reasons why they might

Tesla will receive some assistance from deliveries of vehicles that will reach customers in Q4, but will still qualify for the credit under the IRS’s revised rules. It will also likely introduce an affordable model this quarter, which should have a drastic impact on deliveries depending on pricing.

Tesla shares are trading at $422.40 at 2:35 p.m. on the East Coast.

Continue Reading

Investor's Corner

Tesla Q3 deliveries expected to exceed 440k as Benchmark holds $475 target

Tesla stock ended the third quarter at $444.72 per share, giving the EV maker a market cap of $1.479 trillion at the end of Q3 2025. 

Published

on

tesla-model-y-giga-texas-logo
(Credit: Tesla)

Benchmark has reiterated its “Buy” rating and $475 price target on Tesla stock (NASDAQ: TSLA) as the company prepares to report its third-quarter vehicle deliveries in the coming days. 

Tesla stock ended the third quarter at $444.72 per share, giving the EV maker a market cap of $1.479 trillion at the end of Q3 2025. 

Benchmark’s estimates

Benchmark analyst Mickey Legg noted that he expects Tesla’s deliveries to hit around 442,000 vehicles this Q3, which is under the 448,000-unit consensus but still well above the 384,000 vehicles that the company reported in Q2 2025. According to the analyst, some optimistic estimates for Tesla’s Q3 deliveries are as high as mid-460,000s.

“Tesla is expected to report 3Q25 global production and deliveries on Thursday. We model 442,000 deliveries versus ~448,000 for FactSet consensus with some high-side calls in the mid-460,000s. A solid sequential uptick off 2Q25’s ~384,000, a measured setup into year-end given a choppy incentive/pricing backdrop,” the analyst wrote.

Benchmark is not the only firm that holds an optimistic outlook on Tesla’s Q3 results. Deutsche Bank raised its own delivery forecast to 461,500, while Piper Sandler lifted its price target to $500 following a visit to China to assess market conditions. Cantor Fitzgerald also reiterated an “Overweight” rating and $355 price target for TSLA stock.

Advertisement

Stock momentum meets competitive headwinds

Tesla’s anticipated Q3 results are boosted in part by the impending expiration of the federal EV tax credit in the United States, which analysts believe has encouraged buyers to finalize vehicle purchases sooner, as noted in an Investing.com report.

Tesla shares have surged nearly 30% in September, raising expectations for a strong delivery report. Benchmark warned, however, that some volatility may emerge in the coming quarter.

“With the stock up sharply into the print (roughly ~28-32% in September), its positioning raises the bar for an upside surprise to translate into further near-term strength; we also see risk of volatility if regional mix or ASPs underwhelm. We continue to anticipate policy-driven choppiness after 3Q as certain EV incentives/credits tighten or roll off in select markets, potentially creating 4Q demand air pockets and order-book lumpiness,” the analyst wrote.

Continue Reading

Trending