Has Musk become Tesla’s worst enemy ?

I used to admire Elon Musk a whole lot, but not anymore, especially since he took some radical political positions a couple of years ago, then purchased Twitter to use it as a mouthpiece to convey Trump-style lies and more recently for financing his presidential campaign and wedging himself inside the dictator’s inner circle. 

At the same time, as Musk is blinking, Tesla’s US sales are down by 5% in 2024 (before Q4 results) compared to the prior year. Regionally, Tesla would be down about 10% in Europe, up 8% in China, although Tesla’s growth has greatly slowed down in the world’s biggest auto market, and finally down 5% in the US. 

Our domestic US market is particularly interesting and worrying for Tesla, considering the automaker operated in the country in 2024 with record discounts and incentives, including price cuts, subsidized financing and introducing its new Cybertruck. It’s clear that from the get go, when it came with its Model S, Tesla was the progressive’s beloved, non polluting, green car, and certainly not the vehicle of Trump’s redneck supporters. 

Since then, Elon Musk has devolved into a polarizing figure, his actions and statements often sparking debate. Long gone is his visionary leadership that propelled Tesla to the forefront of electric vehicles. Now, his controversial tweets and public statements have caused volatility in Tesla's stock price and raised concerns among investors while dispiriting Tesla owners and discouraging prospective buyers. 

I certainly love my Tesla, but despise the guy with a passion! Yes, Elon Musk has publicly stated that he is on the autism spectrum. He has been specifically identified with Asperger's syndrome. 

Being on the autism spectrum means having a developmental disability that affects how people communicate, interact socially, and learn. 

This might explain his contradictory behaviors, as his recent involvement in the California wildfire response using Tesla Cybertrucks and Starlink terminals, showed his commitment to leveraging his companies' technologies for public good, but this barely counteracts his criticism of California's regulations, his promotion of conspiracy theories or his meddling into European politics. 

While everyone is speculating on how long the “bromance” between Musk and Trump will last, the richest man in the world has become the most controversial and volatile personality America has ever seen.