Elon Musk has some unusually warm words for the individual investors holding his companies' stock. In a new interview with The Economist, Musk said he considers retail investors among the most thoughtful voices in his shareholder base — and that their long-term orientation sets them apart.
"There are many investors who do take a long-term view," Musk said. "In fact, I'm a big fan of the retail investors. I find our retail investors, on balance, are very insightful and have very long-term views."
The comment is notable given the persistent tension between Tesla's management and certain institutional investors over capital allocation, executive compensation, and Musk's divided attention across multiple ventures. Retail shareholders — who have historically shown a higher tolerance for volatility and a willingness to hold through multi-year product cycles — appear to be the audience Musk feels most aligned with. Whether that alignment translates into any concrete shareholder engagement strategy remains to be seen, but the sentiment is a clear signal of where Musk sees his most reliable support base.
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- @SawyerMerritt on X (2026-07-23T17:48:58.000Z) — Direct source
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