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Tesla’s Elon Musk hints that he’s working on a “Master Plan Part 3”
Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently revealed something extremely exciting: he is currently working on Master Plan, Part 3. Musk’s Master Plan, two of which have already been published over the years, outlines his primary long-term goals for Tesla, as the company evolves from a simple startup automaker to something much more.
Musk’s first Master Plan pretty much flew under the radar, though it did reveal the company’s strategy for the coming years. Written in 2006, Musk’s Master Plan, Part 1 discussed how the company intends to enter the affordable vehicle market by gradually evolving its lineup from expensive sports cars like the original Roadster to more affordable, mainstream vehicles like the Model 3. Musk’s first Master Plan also mentioned how electric vehicle owners could become energy positive by charging their EVs from renewable sources like the sun.
Master Plan, Part 2 came ten years later, a time when the company was already producing the Model S and Model X. Published in 2016, Master Plan, Part Deux still highlighted that Tesla intends to enter all vehicle segments like heavy-duty trucks, pickups, and passenger-density urban transport. However, it also emphasized the importance of Tesla Energy and its solar products, as well as the value of advanced driver-assist systems like Autopilot. Musk also touched on the idea of the Tesla Network, which would be possible once autonomous driving is achieved.
Needless to say, Tesla has not completed Musk’s second Master Plan yet. While all the goals highlighted by the CEO in his first Master Plan were met with the launch and ramp of the Model 3, the goals indicated in Master Plan, Part Deux have proven to be far more challenging. Vehicles like the Tesla Semi and Cybertruck are still waiting to be produced, and the Solar Roof ramp has been rife with delays. The deployment of FSD has made some progress with the FSD Beta program, but true autonomy still seems to be a distant goal.
This does not mean to say that Elon Musk’s Master Plan, Part 3, would be ill-timed, however. Musk definitely has a vision for Tesla, and he knows where the company is going. His long tenure as Tesla’s CEO also provides him with a pretty good eye as to what the company could achieve in the future. With this in mind, and while details of Master Plan, Part 3 are yet to be released, speculations are abounding about what Musk’s third grand plan would entail. Some TSLA bulls that have watched the company for years have suggested that Master Plan, Part 3 may involve Tesla’s transition to an Artificial Intelligence and data company.
A focus on AI is not farfetched at all for Tesla, considering the company’s projects like Optimus and the wealth of data it is gathering from its fleet of vehicles every day. And it doesn’t even have to be limited to electric cars only. With products like its humanoid robot, Tesla’s AI projects could expand to a variety of industries. This is something that Musk seems to be quite excited about, as hinted at in a recent post on Twitter. The CEO highlighted that he has so much respect for those who do honest work in creating useful products and services for their fellow humans.
“Working hard to make useful products & services for your fellow humans is deeply morally good. I have so much respect for the associates doing an honest day’s work at Tesla or SpaceX building & servicing cars, rockets, Starlinks, batteries, solar & many other things,” Musk wrote.
Do you have any idea what Master Plan, Part 3 will entail? Sound off in the comments section below.
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Even Tesla China is feeling the Optimus V3 fever
As per Tesla China, Optimus V3 is “about to be unveiled.”
Even Tesla China seems to have caught the Optimus V3 fever, with the electric vehicle maker teasing the impending arrival of the humanoid robot on its official Weibo account.
As per Tesla China, Optimus V3 is “about to be unveiled.”
Tesla China hypes up Optimus V3
Tesla China noted on its Weibo post that Optimus V3 is redesigned from first principles and is capable of learning new tasks by observing human behavior. The company has stated that it is targeting annual production capacity of up to one million humanoid robots once manufacturing scales.
During the Q4 and FY 2025 earnings call, CEO Elon Musk stated that Tesla will wind down Model S and Model X production to free up factory space for the pilot production line of Optimus V3.
Musk later noted that Giga Texas should have a significantly larger Optimus line, though that will produce Optimus V4. He also made it a point to set expectations with Optimus’ production ramp, stating that the “normal S curve of manufacturing ramp will be longer for Optimus.”
Tesla China’s potential role
Tesla’s decision to announce the Optimus update on Weibo highlights the importance of the humanoid robot in the company’s global operations. Giga Shanghai is already Tesla’s largest manufacturing hub by volume, and Musk has repeatedly described China’s manufacturers as Tesla’s most legitimate competitors.
While Tesla has not confirmed where Optimus V3 will be produced or deployed first, the scale and efficiency of Gigafactory Shanghai make it a plausible candidate for future humanoid robot manufacturing or in-factory deployment. Musk has also suggested that Optimus could become available for public purchase as early as 2027, as noted in a CNEV Post report.
“It’s going to be a very capable robot. I think long-term Optimus will have a very significant impact on the US GDP. It will actually move the needle on US GDP significantly. In conclusion, there are still many who doubt our ambitions for creating amazing abundance. We are confident it can be done, and we are making the right moves technologically to ensure that it does,” Musk said during the earnings call.
Elon Musk
Tesla director pay lawsuit sees lawyer fees slashed by $100 million
The ruling leaves the case’s underlying settlement intact while significantly reducing what the plaintiffs’ attorneys will receive.
The Delaware Supreme Court has cut more than $100 million from a legal fee award tied to a shareholder lawsuit challenging compensation paid to Tesla directors between 2017 and 2020.
The ruling leaves the case’s underlying settlement intact while significantly reducing what the plaintiffs’ attorneys will receive.
Delaware Supreme Court trims legal fees
As noted in a Bloomberg Law report, the case targeted pay granted to Tesla directors, including CEO Elon Musk, Oracle founder Larry Ellison, Kimbal Musk, and Rupert Murdoch. The Delaware Chancery Court had awarded $176 million to the plaintiffs. Tesla’s board must also return stock options and forego years worth of pay.
As per Chief Justice Collins J. Seitz Jr. in an opinion for the Delaware Supreme Court’s full five-member panel, however, the decision of the Delaware Chancery Court to award $176 million to a pension fund’s law firm “erred by including in its financial benefit analysis the intrinsic value” of options being returned by Tesla’s board.
The justices then reduced the fee award from $176 million to $70.9 million. “As we measure it, $71 million reflects a reasonable fee for counsel’s efforts and does not result in a windfall,” Chief Justice Seitz wrote.
Other settlement terms still intact
The Supreme Court upheld the settlement itself, which requires Tesla’s board to return stock and options valued at up to $735 million and to forgo three years of additional compensation worth about $184 million.
Tesla argued during oral arguments that a fee award closer to $70 million would be appropriate. Interestingly enough, back in October, Justice Karen L. Valihura noted that the $176 award was $60 million more than the Delaware judiciary’s budget from the previous year. This was quite interesting as the case was “settled midstream.”
The lawsuit was brought by a pension fund on behalf of Tesla shareholders and focused exclusively on director pay during the 2017–2020 period. The case is separate from other high-profile compensation disputes involving Elon Musk.
Elon Musk
SpaceX-xAI merger discussions in advanced stage: report
The update was initially reported by Bloomberg News, which cited people reportedly familiar with the matter.
SpaceX is reportedly in advanced discussions to merge with artificial intelligence startup xAI. The talks could reportedly result in an agreement as soon as this week, though discussions remain ongoing.
The update was initially reported by Bloomberg News, which cited people reportedly familiar with the matter.
SpaceX and xAI advanced merger talks
SpaceX and xAI have reportedly informed some investors about plans to potentially combine the two privately held companies, Bloomberg’s sources claimed. Representatives for both companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
A merger would unite two of the world’s largest private firms. xAI raised capital at a valuation of about $200 billion in September, while SpaceX was preparing a share sale late last year that valued the rocket company at roughly $800 billion.
If completed, the merger would bring together SpaceX’s launch and satellite infrastructure with xAI’s computing and model development. This could pave the way for Musk’s vision of deploying data centers in orbit to support large-scale AI workloads.
Musk’s broader consolidation efforts
Elon Musk has increasingly linked his companies around autonomy, AI, and space-based infrastructure. SpaceX is seeking regulatory approval to launch up to one million satellites as part of its long-term plans, as per a recent filing. Such a scale could support space-based computing concepts.
SpaceX has also discussed the feasibility of a potential tie-up with electric vehicle maker Tesla, Bloomberg previously reported. SpaceX has reportedly been preparing for a possible initial public offering (IPO) as well, which could value the company at up to $1.5 trillion. No timeline for SpaceX’s reported IPO plans have been announced yet, however.
Even Tesla China is feeling the Optimus V3 fever
Tesla director pay lawsuit sees lawyer fees slashed by $100 million
