Disruptive Theories on the Future of Musk's Empire
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Feb 04 2026
0mins
Should l Buy TSLA?
Source: Benzinga
- Merger Prediction: Billionaire investor Chamath Palihapitiya suggests that instead of a traditional IPO, Musk may orchestrate a reverse merger of SpaceX into Tesla, which would help consolidate his control over both seminal assets.
- Valuation Arbitrage: By merging SpaceX with Tesla, Musk could potentially drive Tesla's valuation towards a $3 trillion target, thereby enhancing its market position and boosting investor confidence.
- AI Ecosystem Integration: Dan Ives from Wedbush notes that the separation of Musk's companies is increasingly artificial, suggesting that Tesla may merge with SpaceX and xAI to create a comprehensive ecosystem focused on both space and Earth.
- Investor Dilemma: While the merger could address funding needs for Mars colonization, it may raise concerns among investors about Tesla's purity, particularly regarding regulatory scrutiny and institutional investment restrictions.
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Analyst Views on TSLA
Wall Street analysts forecast TSLA stock price to fall
30 Analyst Rating
12 Buy
11 Hold
7 Sell
Hold
Current: 417.400
Low
25.28
Averages
401.93
High
600.00
Current: 417.400
Low
25.28
Averages
401.93
High
600.00
About TSLA
Tesla, Inc. designs, develops, manufactures, sells and leases high-performance fully electric vehicles and energy generation and storage systems, and offers services related to its products. Its segments include automotive, and energy generation and storage. The automotive segment includes the design, development, manufacturing, sales and leasing of high-performance fully electric vehicles, and sales of automotive regulatory credits. It also includes sales of used vehicles, non-warranty maintenance services and collisions, part sales, paid supercharging, insurance services revenue and retail merchandise sales. The energy generation and storage segment include the design, manufacture, installation, sales and leasing of solar energy generation and energy storage products and related services and sales of solar energy systems incentives. Its consumer vehicles include the Model 3, Y, S, X and Cybertruck. Its lithium-ion battery energy storage products include Powerwall and Megapack.
About the author

Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
- Cybercab Testing Update: A user on social media platform X shared a video showing the Cybercab testing on a highway near Chicago, and while it was unclear if it was being driven autonomously, the user suggested it was human-driven, indicating Tesla's ongoing efforts in validating autonomous driving technology.
- Pricing and Production Progress: CEO Elon Musk announced that the production version of the Cybercab will be priced below $30,000, marking a significant step in Tesla's strategy to penetrate the electric taxi market and potentially attract more consumer interest.
- Trademark Dispute Issues: Tesla recently filed an appeal with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office against beverage wholesaler Unibev for alleged fraud, claiming the company is squatting on trademarks to extract money from Tesla, which could impact the Cybercab's brand image and market promotion.
- Legal Lawsuit Impact: Tesla faces a lawsuit from the California DMV over misleading advertising regarding its autonomous driving systems, although the company argues that no consumer witnesses were presented, and this legal challenge could negatively affect its future market strategy and consumer trust.
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- Starship V3 Reusability: Musk expressed high confidence in the Starship V3 design achieving full reusability, which is expected to significantly enhance the economic viability and efficiency of future lunar missions.
- Capture Challenges: He noted that SpaceX plans to attempt to catch the ship with the tower only after two successful soft landings in the ocean, indicating that the success of this process will directly impact the safety and reliability of future launches.
- Orbital Datacenter Goals: Recently, SpaceX was invited by the FCC to discuss its ambitious goal of operating a fleet of over 1 million satellites, although this initiative faced criticism from short seller Jim Chanos, who labeled it as “AI Snake Oil,” highlighting the challenges ahead.
- Artemis II Progress: NASA rolled back the Artemis II launch vehicle from the launch platform at Kennedy Space Center due to engineers observing interrupted helium flow to the SLS rocket’s interim cryogenic propulsion stage, which could affect future launch schedules.
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- Poor Stock Performance: Investor Gary Black criticized Tesla's stock for showing almost no growth over the past five years, with TSLA rising 81% compared to the Nasdaq 100's 94%, indicating a lack of market confidence despite significant advancements in its autonomous driving technology.
- Earnings Forecast Downgrade: Black noted that Tesla's earnings estimates for 2026-2028 have been sharply reduced, and the newly launched Cybertruck AWD trim is cannibalizing sales from mid-level trims, potentially impacting overall revenue performance.
- Investor Skepticism: Black questioned the optimism of Tesla's supporters who ignore financial data, asserting that stock prices should be driven by earnings and cash flows, and likening this attitude to asking Elon Musk to ignore the laws of physics.
- Cybercab Production Update: Tesla's Cybercab is set to ramp up production in April this year, with Musk stating it will be priced below $30,000, and a production-ready version has been unveiled at the Texas Gigafactory, showcasing Tesla's ongoing innovation in the electric mobility sector.
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- Future Factory Vision: Tesla CEO Elon Musk predicts the establishment of factories on the lunar surface within 20 years, urging investors to hold onto TSLA stock as he anticipates significant value appreciation, reflecting his optimistic outlook on the company's long-term trajectory.
- Propulsion Technology Innovation: Musk proposed the concept of building a Mass Driver, a propulsion method that accelerates payloads using magnetic levitation, indicating Tesla's forward-thinking approach to propulsion technology, which could provide new solutions for future space exploration.
- Sales Decline Situation: Despite Musk's confidence in the future, Tesla's European sales fell by 17% year-over-year in January 2023, with market share dropping to 0.8%, highlighting the intense competition in the current market and the challenges the company faces.
- Stock Price Fluctuation Analysis: Tesla's stock price declined by 2.10% to $408.58 at market close on Thursday, further dropping 0.46% in after-hours trading, reflecting market concerns about the company's short-term performance, although the long-term trend remains favorable.
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- Future Development Plans: Musk emphasized in a recent interview that Tesla will launch several new initiatives over the next five to ten years, including the Optimus humanoid robot, CyberCab production, and battery manufacturing, showcasing the company's ambitions in autonomous driving and robotics.
- Lagging Stock Performance: Future Fund's Gary Black noted that Tesla's stock has only risen 81% over the past five years, significantly trailing the Nasdaq's 94% increase, reflecting a cautious market sentiment regarding its future growth potential.
- Slow Progress in Autonomy: Despite Musk's confidence in Tesla's autonomous driving prospects, observations from Jefferies indicate that Tesla's robotaxi fleet still requires safety monitoring, suggesting that its fully autonomous business model is not yet fully developed.
- Cybertruck Demand Challenges: The recently introduced lower-priced $59,990 Cybertruck variant faces uneven demand, with only 50,850 units sold in 2025, indicating that market acceptance of this model is below expectations, which could impact future production plans.
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- Pricing Strategy: Tesla has lowered the starting price of the all-wheel drive Cybertruck to $59,990 with a 10-day limited offer, aiming to stimulate demand and potentially adjust prices post-February 28 based on market response, which could help maintain high demand levels.
- Surge in Demand: Since the launch of the $59,990 version, feedback on social media indicates strong demand, with Twitter user Sawyer Merritt noting he has assisted more buyers in the past week than in the previous 1.5 years combined, showcasing the model's market appeal.
- Sales Data Insights: Despite a 48% drop in Cybertruck sales from 2024 to 2025, the introduction of the new version may attract more consumers, with Merritt's unofficial poll indicating 950 orders, potentially generating over $57 million in revenue for Tesla.
- Production and Market Challenges: Tesla faces production capacity challenges as it plans to halt some EV models to make room for the Optimus Bot humanoid robot; while Cybertruck sales have begun in international markets, balancing production with demand remains a critical issue.
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