Elon’s Promise to End His “First Buddy of America” Role Sends Shares Soaring After Earnings...

Well, it finally happened. Tesla just reported a 71% drop in net income. A - 20% plunge in automotive revenue, meanwhile delivery numbers saw its worst drop in company history. The best part? The EV market actually grew 7%. Which means it’s not the economy, it’s not the industry, and it’s sure as hell not “macro conditions”. It’s Tesla. More specifically, it’s Musk who is the problem. 

(Source: Giphy) 

But don’t worry, friends—in an announcement that clearly screams overdue, Elon spent half the earnings call talking about how he’s totally going to spend less time moonlighting as the “First Buddy of America”, and more time on Tesla. But, as of right now, while that news definitely appeased some… the damage is already done. BYD is literally breathing down Tesla’s neck globally, meanwhile in the U.S., Tesla’s EV market share has dipped below 50%. 

Of course, Tesla did say the Model Y refresh slowed things down, but it doesn’t really explain why the people who used to buy Teslas (think: progressives, techies, tree huggers, and coastal elites) would rather sell two kidneys than to give Elon their money. Apparently, owning a Tesla in 2025 isn’t about innovation anymore. It’s a political statement. And not the kind most Tesla buyers want to make. You’re not signaling “eco-friendly disruptor” these days. You’re signaling “I think Elon Musk has some good ideas.” That’s a problem for a consumer brand. Especially when your CEO is out here claiming protestors are paid operatives and every criticism is some deep-state op (And that’s coming from a tinfoil hat person myself, except I don’t live in my moms basement). 

(Source: NPR) 

But alas, Musk says he’s cutting back his DOGE time to “a day or two a week”. Which is hilarious, because he never should’ve been in the trenches like this in the first place. That’s what his ragtag team of 20 year old employees are for. Even Dan Ives, one of Tesla’s biggest cheerleaders, called this a “code red” moment. He said Musk needed to show he was coming back to the business. And what did we get? A vague promise to spend less time in DC, not because of pressure, but because the job is “mostly done.” 

However, as it turns out “de-escalation” rumors walked so Elon’s “I’m focusing more on Tesla” could run. Translation: Investors injected Elon’s words into their blood stream with shares skyrocketing nearly 5% after hours. To be fair, the bar was already extremely low, so the fact that Elon showed up to the call without lighting himself on fire was considered bullish. 

(Source: Giphy) 

On the other hand, used Tesla's values are down 10% year-over-year. That hurts existing owners, it hurts the brand, and it hurts Tesla’s bottom line since they technically still own every leased car. Not to mention that Elon continued hyping up robotaxis as the future. But here’s my problem, we’ve been hearing about those since Obama was in office. Meanwhile, Chinese companies are already shipping real products, with real tech, at lower prices. Musk claims Tesla will be number one in AI, but also admits two through ten will be Chinese. Which, in my opinion, is still a massive problem. Has he even watched the Olympics…? 

Of course, Tesla’s still the biggest EV player in the U.S., for now. But it’s definitely not untouchable. And if Elon keeps treating the company like a side hustle, it’s not hard to see where this ends. He says Tesla isn’t “on the ragged edge of death.” But if this is what a healthy quarter looks like, investors are in for a rude awakening. For now, keep your eyes on Tesla today as Elon’s return has triggered a spark. Only time will tell how long that lasts, but hey, it’s something. Meaning, place your bets accordingly, friends and stay safe out there. Until next time…

P.S. Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t know you liked getting rekt. Let’s face it, retail investors get the short end of the stick all day everyday. It’s the smart money’s world, and we are just living in it–only useful when it comes to liquidity purposes in the market. Meaning, if you’re as pissed off as I was when I found out Milli Vanilli was lip syncing the whole time, then it’s time to go from investing blind, to investing smart. Luckily for you, the key is right here as a Stocks.News premium member. Click here to see exactly how our premium members are printing while others quake in the face of today’s market chaos. 

Stocks.News holds positions in Tesla as mentioned in the article.