Brad Gerstner, founder & CEO, Altimeter Capital Tesla Inc TSLA-Q PARTIAL SELL May 05, 2025

Its reputation has taken a hit this year due to Musk's highly polarizing involvement with Trump. This has taken the robotaxi story off the table, allowing Uber to roar. But robotaxis were never a threat to Uber in the first place. He still thinks Tesla has an edge given Musk's relationship with Trump, but he didn't expect this much public backlash against Musk/Tesla.

Funny that people who bought a year ago have to attach explanatory bumper stickers. If it's going to be a good buy at $200-225, it's a good buy at $265; you're buying it for the longer term. He can't come to terms with the valuation.

If you decide you want to buy, put in 10% today, and you'll feel better. If you've wanted it for a long time, and you don't pull the trigger today, you'll forever hesitate. It's just psychology. 

His father has a wonderful expression, "It's the second mouse that gets the cheese." Not sure tariffs are enough to provide continuing support for an EV car maker when the Chinese are doing it so much cheaper.

Over time, every major car company will have a slew of electric vehicles and TSLA won't be the only game in town. Brand's been damaged a bit from Musk's activities. Still not cheap. Better places to go with less risk.

Shares are cut in half from highs. Bulls say that Trump's close relationship with Musk should give Tesla a big advantage in self-driving cars and robots. But Tesla's core car business has collapsed and tariffs will be awful. Is the most expensive Mag 7 stock, trading at 87x PE. He can't trust their estimates--their car business is in such bad shape.

Musk is a remarkable entrepreneur, but there's a lot of promotion involved. Right, particularly in the US, the people driving Teslas aren't happy, given DOGE and the White House. We see the backlash with protests. If Tesla survives 10 years, there will probably be a lot of revenue from self-driving cards, but Tesla has to get there. The brand has fallen out of favour. If things go badly in the White House, it would reflect more badly on the company, because Musk is so tied to the White House.

As a car company, never made sense to pay the demanding multiple. So an investor has to put faith in the technology side, and he's not comfortable with that. Musk is in the news big time, and he's not gaining any friends. International blowback against TSLA and Musk, reputational risk. Sales numbers weak.

The stock is down 40%, but at 50% that's when it hits bottom and that's when you enter. So wait.

On the chart it's a buy. But price to growth is unhinged. Don't buy this one.

He drives a Tesla. Musk stepping away from Washington is likely a good thing, but the stock trades at a ridiculous 150x PE. Bulls will argue that robo-taxis are coming, but we're not there yet for self-driving cars (he tried it himself).