Too bad he didn't express himself as well as Third Row did.
I've been an owner of TSLA since 2012. I don't take investing lightly or as a short term concept. It is long term. It is a big bet.
I initially wasn't an Elon fan, because I read somewhere that Clooney thought his car sucked and he was a PayPal mafia playboy. That's what I read at least.
In October of 2012, I walked into a Tesla store with contempt. I wanted to see how faux green movement glut looked. This new "Model S" thing for the ultra wealthy who just wanted to say they were for "the environment" by having one. They really weren't trying to overcome the big problems.
I sat in the model S. They told me the range was about 300 miles per charge. It could hold up to 7 people. They said Elon designed it to hold his entire family (5 kids, himself and significant other). And it was priced in the 57k region after incentives for the base. I actually was in shock. This was actually heads and tales above the rest in the electric car world. It wasn't the small low range Nissan. It was the type of eat-your-broccoli type Prius. It was really really different. It looked good too.
I started to look into Elon. Every video I could. The earliest was a short clip of him receiving his Mclarin. Then a small clip of him talking about x.com. But then I picked up a lecture he gave a Stanford. Then all his interviews from 2008 on. I was amazed by his consistency. I loved his fire in the interview where he called the guy an asshole. He was right.
What I came to learn for him and why I became an investor and supporter was his all out courage and candor. He put it all out there and was willing to take the hits for what he believed. He said he could make an electric car that better than gas car. They laughed. They mocked. They ridiculed. Then he did it. He said he was going to make a reusable rocket. They laughed. They mocked. They ridiculed. Then he did it.
He made it through the internet bubble of 2000. He's been able to cope with the tragic loss of a child. Through the darkness of divorce. Through the insanity inducing 2008. Through hours away from dying from 2 misdiagnosis by "medical experts", then holding on for that third. His life is like that forth rocket. He's the lone voice in the wilderness of AI wolves. Funding secured is nothing Elon hasn't been through over and over again.
And now we are here today with Covid. The theme? Elon has the courage of a million people combined. He believes in a better future and is willing to put everything on the line for it because we have no choice. He proves it day in and day out. In this life, he's been given tremendous opportunity and as a result he does hard work, loves the future of life, and appreciates the fortunate position he's found himself. Being fortunate comes with responsibility. *Very few* really take responsibility seriously in this world. Elon does it in spades.
He would've never gotten here if he didn't have the courage to take responsibility for doing his part. We wouldn't be investors if he didn't have that tremendous drive. Sometimes its like eating glass while staring off into the abyss ahead. Elon has been here many many times before and will be many times after.
Drive on Elon. It's difficult to know where our best interests allign in this current global climate. Until I see someone else with the courage to stand tall in the face of backlash for their convictions, as Elon has done time in and time out, I will respect his opinion and be an advocate for reasoned debate without "cancelling" them. When you can't do that, we shouldn't be investors in Tesla. This will definitely not be the last time Elon ruffles feathers.
