Investing.com — Tesla’s (NASDAQ:TSLA) shares were in focus Monday as investors digested weekend developments including President Donald Trump’s comments about CEO Elon Musk and updates on the company’s ambitious Optimus robot project. Shares rose 1.8% in premarket.
Trump praised Musk during comments to reporters aboard Air Force One, calling him “great” and “well-meaning,” while describing the Tesla CEO as “80% supergenius and 20% he makes mistakes.” Musk reciprocated on X, noting he “had a lovely dinner last night with @POTUS and @FLOTUS” and declaring “2026 is going to be amazing!”
The Wall Street Journal published a detailed report on Tesla’s Optimus humanoid robot project, which Musk has positioned as potentially “the biggest product of all time” with the ability to generate “infinite” revenue for the company. Musk’s new compensation package gives him 10 years to transform Tesla into an $8.5 trillion company and sell at least one million robots, which could earn him a $1 trillion pay package.
Despite the ambitious vision, the Optimus project faces significant technical challenges. The robots are currently hand-made, with engineers struggling to create hands with both the sensitivity and dexterity of humans. In public demonstrations, the robots are often remotely operated by human engineers wearing body suits and virtual-reality headsets.
Some Tesla employees have questioned the usefulness of the humanoid robots for routine manufacturing operations, suggesting purpose-built robots might be more effective for specific factory tasks. Robotics experts note that giving robots enough dexterity and environmental awareness to perform useful tasks remains a frontier challenge.
Tesla has already backed away from its initial timeline of deploying commercial versions of Optimus in its factories by the end of this year. The company is currently working on the third generation of the robot.
This robot initiative comes as Tesla’s core automotive business faces headwinds. The company reported vehicle sales fell 16% in the fourth quarter and dropped 9% for all of 2025, causing Tesla to lose its global EV sales crown to China’s BYD. Tesla’s stock, which tumbled in early 2025 amid slumping EV sales, had rebounded in recent months on optimism about Musk’s pivot to robotaxis and humanoid robots.
Related articles
Tesla shares rise after Trump praises Musk but Optimus robot challenges remain
3 Dependable Non-Tech Stocks Poised for Steady Gains in Uncertain Times
Gold: $4K Breakout Faces First Real Test as Stocks and Sentiment Rise Together