Back to 2010: What Would You Ask Elon Musk on the Verge of Collapse?

Imagine stepping into a time machine, dialing back to 2010, and sitting down with a younger Elon Musk. At the time, Tesla Motors was a fledgling electric vehicle startup teetering on the edge of financial ruin, SpaceX was still proving itself with early Falcon launches, and the world had yet to fully grasp the audacity of Musk’s vision.

If you had the chance to interview him then, what questions would you ask? Would you probe his relentless optimism, his strategy for navigating near-bankruptcy, or his dreams for a multiplanetary future?

Fast-forward to 2025, and the answers to those questions have unfolded into one of the most remarkable corporate sagas in modern history—a story of grit, innovation, and unrelenting ambition that transformed a struggling company into a global tech titan.

In 2010, Tesla was a high-risk bet. Fresh off its IPO, the company was burning cash, producing just a few thousand Roadsters, and facing skepticism from an automotive industry dominated by fossil-fuel giants. Musk, then a relatively unknown entrepreneur outside tech circles, was pouring his personal fortune into keeping Tesla afloat. The idea of electric vehicles challenging the status quo seemed far-fetched to many.

Yet, Musk’s conviction—that sustainable energy could redefine transportation—was unshakable.

If you asked him then about Tesla’s future, he might have spoken of mass-market EVs, autonomous driving, or renewable energy ecosystems, ideas that sounded like science fiction at the time.

Musk Reborn: Tesla’s journey from crisis to dominance

What no one could have predicted was the meteoric rise that followed. Tesla’s journey from near collapse to global dominance is a case study in defying odds.

By 2025, Tesla has redefined the automotive and energy sectors, with its vehicles—Model 3, Model Y, Cybertruck, and beyond—setting benchmarks for performance and innovation. The company’s Gigafactories, spanning continents, churn out batteries and vehicles at unprecedented scale, while its Full Self-Driving technology pushes the boundaries of artificial intelligence.

Tesla’s influence extends beyond cars, with solar energy, battery storage, and even humanoid robots like Optimus signaling a broader mission to accelerate human progress.

Tesla targeting further expansion

Today, Tesla’s financials reflect its transformation. As of August 2025, Tesla’s stock price hovers around $300 per share, giving the company a market capitalization about $1 trillion, cementing its status as one of the world’s most valuable companies.

Despite fluctuations driven by macroeconomic pressures and investor sentiment, Tesla’s revenue growth remains robust, fueled by record vehicle deliveries and expanding energy storage deployments. Analysts project continued growth, with Tesla targeting further expansion into emerging markets like India and Southeast Asia.

The company’s ability to innovate—whether through vertical integration or breakthroughs in battery chemistry—keeps it ahead of competitors, even as traditional automakers and new EV entrants vie for market share.

Elon Musk’s broader empire amplifies Tesla’s story. SpaceX, now valued at over $350 billion, is revolutionizing space travel with Starship, providing global internet connectivity with Starlink, and generating billions in recurring revenue.

The Boring Company and Neuralink, though earlier in their journeys, hint at Musk’s relentless pursuit of transformative ideas.

Meanwhile, xAI, the creator of AI systems like Grok, positions Musk at the forefront of the artificial intelligence race, with implications for everything from autonomous vehicles to scientific discovery.

Tesla face both opportunities and challenges

Looking ahead, Tesla and Musk’s ventures face both opportunities and challenges. Tesla’s push for full autonomy could unlock new revenue streams, with robotaxi services projected to generate billions annually by 2030. However, regulatory hurdles, geopolitical tensions, and competition in the EV and AI spaces loom large.

Musk’s vision of a $20 trillion valuation for Tesla, as floated on X in July 2025, hinges on executing at an unprecedented scale—integrating AI, energy, and transportation into a seamless ecosystem. Whether this valuation materializes depends on Tesla’s ability to navigate supply chain constraints, deliver on its AI promises, and maintain consumer trust in an increasingly crowded market.