Tesla shares plunge $152B after Musk-Trump spat: what’s next for Optimus?

Tesla faces a critical juncture as its humanoid robot lead Milan Kovac departs amid Elon Musk's public clash with Donald Trump, triggering a historic $152 billion market cap loss. This report explores the future of the ambitious Optimus project and the broader impact on Tesla’s innovation roadmap.

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Sources: CNN
Tesla's stock suffered a historic $152 billion market value loss following a public social media spat between CEO Elon Musk and former President Donald Trump.

The turmoil coincides with uncertainty surrounding Tesla's ambitious Optimus humanoid robot project after Milan Kovac, the lead developer, announced his departure.

"Milan Kovac, who oversaw the development of Tesla’s ‘Optimus’ humanoid robot posted on social media late Friday afternoon that he was leaving the company."

Musk publicly acknowledged Kovac's exit, expressing gratitude and calling it an "honor" to work with him.

"Musk later replied to the post on X, thanking Kovac for his contributions to the company and saying it had been an ‘honor’ to work with him."

The departure raises questions about Tesla's ability to continue developing, manufacturing, and delivering the Optimus robots, a project Musk has touted as potentially generating "north of $10 trillion in revenue" and becoming Tesla's biggest product ever.

"Kovac’s departure raises questions over the future direction of Optimus, and whether Tesla will successfully be able to develop, manufacture, and deliver the humanoid robots."

The stock plunge, the largest single-day drop in Tesla's history, reflects investor concerns amid the leadership shakeup and Musk's public controversies.

"Not long after Elon Musk and President Donald Trump’s very-public social media spat led Tesla shares to take their greatest single-day drop ever on Thursday—erasing $152 billion off its market cap."

As Tesla navigates this turbulent period, the future of Optimus remains uncertain, with industry watchers closely monitoring the company's next moves.
Sources: CNN
Tesla shares plunged $152 billion after Elon Musk's public spat with Donald Trump, raising concerns about the future of Tesla's Optimus humanoid robot project following the departure of its lead developer Milan Kovac. Musk envisions Optimus as a $10 trillion revenue generator for Tesla.
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The Headline

Kovac leaves Tesla; shares plunge $152B after Musk-Trump spat

It has been an honor to work with Milan Kovac.
Elon Musk
CEO of Tesla
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Key Facts
  • Milan Kovac, who led the development of Tesla's Optimus humanoid robot, has announced his departure from the company.CNN1
  • Elon Musk publicly thanked Kovac on X for his contributions, calling it an honor to work with him.CNN1
  • Kovac's exit has raised concerns about Tesla's ability to develop, manufacture, and deliver the Optimus humanoid robots.
  • Tesla shares suffered their greatest single-day drop ever after Elon Musk's social media spat with Donald Trump, erasing $152 billion in market capitalization.CNN1
Key Stats at a Glance
Tesla market capitalization loss after Musk-Trump spat
$152 billion
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Background Context

Optimus robot projected to generate $10 trillion revenue

Key Facts
  • Elon Musk has claimed that the Optimus robot could generate north of $10 trillion in revenue for Tesla and be its biggest product ever.CNN1
Key Stats at a Glance
Projected revenue from Optimus robot
$10 trillion
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