Tesla may be An electric auto maker, but CEO Elon Musk has made clear he thinks of it as much more: an innovator in artificial intelligence and software, the creator of world-shaking robots. He has also argued that Tesla should be worth much more than it is today: up to $20 trillion, he posted in July, which is five times higher than Nvidia’s current price.
Musk has also made it clear that he wants to get paid much more. In November, Tesla shareholders will vote on a board proposal to pay the CEO a remarkable $1 trillion over the next decade. With this deal, Musk’s stake in Tesla will also increase from 13 percent to a quarter. But Musk will get that big figure — and the additional control — only if he hits a series of ambitious metrics, including 20 million vehicles delivered, 1 million robotaxis in commercial operation and an $8.5 trillion valuation. And also, 1 million Optimus humanoid robots were delivered.
On a call with investors on Wednesday, Musk addressed that last point to make his most dangerous argument yet for a huge payday. “My basic concern with respect to how much voting control I have at Tesla is, if I go ahead and build this huge robot army, could I be forced out at some point in the future?” He said. “If we build this robot army, will I have at least a strong influence over this robot army? Not control, but a strong influence… I don’t feel comfortable building that robot army unless I have a strong influence.”
Generally, Musk talks up Tesla’s Optimus project as a force for peace more than war. He states that Optimus will overturn the job market and free humanity from the drudgery of work. (“Work will be optional, like growing your own vegetables instead of buying from the store,” he posted this week.) Elsewhere on an investor call Wednesday, he said Tesla’s robots “will truly create a world where there is no poverty, where everyone has access to the best medical care.”
He added, Optimus would be an incredible surgeon, and imagine if everyone had access to an incredible surgeon. For Tesla, Optimus would be “an infinite money mess,” Musk said, arguing that everyone would want a humanoid robot that could do their work for them.
