Elon Musk's Vision for Influential Control Over His Robot Army By: Stock Market Charlie

Elon Musk

In the most recent Tesla earnings call Wednesday, the world's richest man contemplated the future of his company's Optimus robots and his influence over them.

Tesla is not just an electric auto maker; CEO Elon Musk sees it as much more: a leader in artificial intelligence and software innovation, and a creator of groundbreaking robots. He confidently asserts that Tesla should be valued far higher than it is today, aiming for up to $20 trillion, which surpasses Nvidia's current worth by more than five times, as he posted in July.

Musk is also clear about his desire for substantial compensation. In November, Tesla shareholders will vote on the board’s proposal to award the CEO an extraordinary $1 trillion over the next decade. This agreement would also increase Musk’s stake in Tesla from 13 percent to 25 percent. However, Musk would only receive this significant sum—and the additional influence—if he meets a series of ambitious targets, including delivering 20 million vehicles, having 1 million robotaxis in operation, achieving an $8.5 trillion valuation, and delivering 1 million Optimus humanoid robots.

During a call with investors on Wednesday, Musk emphasized this last point to strongly argue for his substantial compensation. “My fundamental concern regarding my voting control at Tesla is whether, if I go ahead and build this enormous robot army, I could be ousted in the future,” he stated. “If we build this robot army, do I have at least a strong influence over it? Not control, but a strong influence … I am not comfortable building that robot army unless I have a strong influence.”

A sleek electric car is parked on an open road at sunset, with a beautiful gradient sky and distant mountains enhancing the scenic backdrop.

Musk confidently presents Tesla’s Optimus project as a powerful force for peace. He asserts that Optimus will revolutionize the job market and liberate humanity from the monotony of work. “Working will become optional, much like choosing to grow your own vegetables instead of purchasing them,” he posted this week. During the investor call on Wednesday, he declared that Tesla’s robots would “create a world without poverty, granting everyone access to the finest medical care.”

Optimus, he emphasized, “will be an extraordinary surgeon, and imagine the impact if everyone had access to such expertise.” For Tesla, Optimus represents “an infinite money glitch,” as Musk confidently stated that everyone will desire a humanoid robot capable of performing their tasks.

At Tesla events—and at the Tesla Diner in Los Angeles—Optimus robots confidently perform service tasks: serving drinks and popcorn, or captivating visitors by dancing or playing rock, paper, scissors. (Optimus participants in a 2024 Tesla event were later confirmed to be not fully autonomous, but remotely operated by humans.)

Whether Optimus takes on laundry or combat, Tesla’s vision of a robotic future remains on the horizon. On Wednesday’s call, Musk addressed the challenge of crafting humanoid hands and forearms, affirming earlier reports that these features have posed significant challenges for Tesla engineers. Despite setting internal goals to produce 5,000 Optimus units this year, The Information reported this month that the company revised these production plans over the summer. On Wednesday, Musk announced that Tesla would have a “production-intent prototype” ready by February or March, with full-scale production commencing at the end of next year.

Best Regards,

Stock Market Charlie