Tesla's IPO was 15 years ago. The stock is up almost 300-fold since then

Core Insights - Tesla's initial public offering (IPO) occurred on June 29, 2010, with a revenue of approximately $150 million, primarily from the Roadster model [1][2] - The company has evolved significantly, now being the eighth most valuable publicly traded U.S. company with a market cap exceeding $1 trillion and nearly $100 billion in revenue last year [5] - Tesla's current financial success is driven by the Model Y SUV and Model 3 sedan, along with sales of environmental regulatory credits, rather than the earlier models [6] Company Performance - An investment of $10,000 in Tesla at the time of its IPO would now be worth nearly $3 million, compared to about $57,000 if invested in the S&P 500 [4] - Tesla's stock has experienced significant volatility, with over 40 instances of gaining or losing at least 20% in a single month since its IPO [21] Leadership and Vision - CEO Elon Musk's leadership is characterized by ambitious goals, including the development of autonomous vehicles and humanoid robots, which he believes could elevate Tesla's market cap to $25 trillion [8][9] - Musk's recent political involvement and controversial statements have impacted Tesla's reputation and stock performance [16][19] Market Challenges - Tesla faces increasing competition, particularly from lower-cost Chinese manufacturers, leading to sluggish EV sales and a decline in automotive revenue for two consecutive years [12] - The company's newest model, the Cybertruck, has not gained significant traction in the U.S. market, and sales in Europe have declined for five consecutive months [13] Stock Performance Trends - Tesla's stock saw its best month in May 2013 with an 81% increase, driven by the first quarterly profit and strong Model S sales [22] - The stock's worst month was December 2022, with a 37% decline due to production halts and Musk's stock sales to fund his Twitter acquisition [26] - In February 2025, the stock plummeted 28% following disappointing earnings and concerns over reduced vehicle registrations in Europe [28]