Tesla future tied to Musk, AI ambitions—Morgan Stanley

Published 08/09/2025, 16:08
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Investing.com -- Tesla’s long-term prospects are closely linked to CEO Elon Musk and the company’s ambitions in artificial intelligence, Morgan Stanley analysts said in a research note.

The analysts highlighted Musk’s proposed compensation package as key to understanding Tesla’s strategic trajectory. 

Morgan Stanley said it “puts to bed concerns over Elon’s long-term commitment to Tesla,” noting that Musk “has expressed his desire to hold at least a ‘blocking minority’ (25%-type stake) in the company to have some say in a potential change of control.” 

The note added that, with no clear near-term succession plan, Musk’s focus on Tesla is likely to intensify as the company scales AI-enabled manufacturing and commercializes physical AI products.

Morgan Stanley said Tesla’s performance targets, which include vehicle deliveries, Full Self-Driving subscriptions, and Robotaxis, “appear achievable over a 10-year view,” though the company’s goal of $400 billion in adjusted EBITDA would require substantial contributions from AI-driven markets, including its Optimus humanoid robots. 

The note explained that a single percent conversion of the U.S. labor force to humanoid robots could represent roughly $320 billion in market value.

The bank also highlighted the flexibility of Tesla’s definition of a “Bot,” which could include “humanoids, robotic arms, AMRs (autonomous mobile robots), non-vehicle drones, snake-dog robots, robots in space, robotic implants and much much more.”

Finally, Morgan Stanley noted potential synergies with Musk’s xAI venture, suggesting that the CEO could leverage AI growth opportunities to advance Tesla’s market position. 

The analysts concluded that, while execution will be key, the compensation plan “aligns Tesla minority shareholder interest with those of Elon Musk” and reinforces his long-term commitment to the company.

Morgan Stanley said Musk’s absence from a recent White House tech dinner underscores a “more ‘go it alone’ strategy” as Tesla pursues leadership in physical AI and renewable energy.

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