Indeed, the electric car manufacturer's sales in the US surged briefly, caused by the end of federal subsidies for the purchase of electric vehicles: buyers wanted to benefit from the scheme before it was postponed.
Last month, for the first time in a very long time, Elon Musk also bought 2.57 million shares in a transaction worth over $1bn. This signal could not go unnoticed, of course.
If adopted at Tesla's general meeting on November 6, the $1 trillion compensation plan, which makes the allocation of 12% of Tesla's capital to its founder over the next decade conditional on bringing the manufacturer's valuation to $8.5 trillion, would bring his total stake to 29% of the capital.
To what extent does Musk live in a world of fantasy and illusion? That is precisely the trillion-dollar question. Tesla's revenue last quarter was at the same level as three years earlier, while its operating profit fell by two-thirds over the same period.
The mercurial entrepreneur continues to divide opinion, with some accusing him of acute mythomania and others continuing to worship him like a god. Having found himself in difficulty at Tesla following his political and social escapades, his priority—which he makes no secret of—is to strengthen his control over the group.
Tesla's market capitalization now hovers around $1.5 trillion, 12-times that of BYD. This premium was based on the promise of much higher profitability, while both companies are on a par in terms of margins, although in terms of volume, the Chinese company delivered triple the number of vehicles as Tesla in the last quarter.
