TLDR
- Elon Musk’s public feud with Ryanair’s CEO escalated to a poll about buying the $35 billion airline.
- Tesla investors fear another round of stock sales similar to the 2022 Twitter acquisition.
- Musk confirmed Cybercab robotaxi and Optimus robot production will begin slowly before accelerating.
- Tesla stock fell 4.2% Tuesday as broader markets dropped on tariff concerns.
- Volume Cybercab production is planned for 2026, with Optimus manufacturing starting late this year.
Tesla investors are getting flashbacks to 2022. Elon Musk spent the weekend in a heated exchange with Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary on X.
The fight started over SpaceX’s Starlink service for airline flights. O’Leary dismissed using Starlink because of fuel penalties. Musk responded by calling that view uninformed.
Things got personal fast. Name-calling followed. Musk labeled O’Leary a “chimp” on Monday.
Then Musk posted a poll asking X users if he should buy Ryanair. The European airline has a market cap around $35 billion. That poll is what has Tesla shareholders worried.
Stock Sale Concerns Return
This scenario feels familiar. Musk bought Twitter in 2022 after months of public drama. That deal hammered Tesla stock and required Musk to sell shares.
A Ryanair purchase could force the same pattern. Musk would need approximately 5% of his $740 billion net worth. His Tesla stake represents a major chunk of that wealth.
Musk’s fortune includes holdings in SpaceX, xAI, and Tesla. Liquidating Tesla shares to fund an airline acquisition would create volatility. Shareholders lived through this with Twitter.
The likelihood of a Ryanair deal is probably low. But Musk’s track record shows he sometimes acts on these impulses. That’s enough to make investors nervous.
Tesla stock dropped 4.2% on Tuesday. Ryanair speculation wasn’t the cause. The entire market sold off as the S&P 500 lost 2.1% and Nasdaq fell 2.4%.
Tariff proposals from President Trump related to Greenland rattled markets. That macro pressure hit tech stocks hard.
Robotaxi Launch Details
Musk provided updates on Tesla’s future products this week. He warned that Cybercab and Optimus production will start extremely slow.
Production speed depends on complexity, Musk explained. New parts and manufacturing processes slow things down initially. Both Cybercab and Optimus involve mostly new components.
“The early production rate will be agonizingly slow, but eventually end up being insanely fast,” Musk posted on X.
The Cybercab is a two-seat robotaxi without traditional controls. No steering wheel. No pedals. Tesla aims for volume production next year.
Optimus humanoid robots should enter production toward the end of 2026. Musk has called this project potentially bigger than Tesla’s car business.
Tesla already runs limited robotaxi tests in Austin. Those trials use Model Y vehicles with Full Self-Driving software. Early tests included human safety monitors in the passenger seat.
Musk said in December that Tesla was testing without safety monitors. That marks progress toward fully autonomous operation.
Market Performance
Tesla’s valuation sits at $1.39 trillion. Much of that value stems from expectations for autonomous driving and robotics. The actual business still depends on vehicle sales for revenue.
Tesla stock traded 0.5% higher in premarket Wednesday at $421.24. Over the past year, shares are down 2%. The stock faces headwinds from production delays and Musk’s external projects.
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