Tesla Inc. stock has underperformed the overall market in 2025, with a year-to-date decline of 11.2%. Despite this, CEO Elon Musk has issued a warning to investors betting against the electric vehicle company. With Tesla rolling out robotaxis in several regions of the United States, Musk is confident that the company will come out on top.
Musk Issues Warning
Musk has long promised that Tesla will have autonomous vehicles, and with the latest robotaxi rollouts, the company could be on its way to achieving this goal. To have autonomous vehicles nationwide, Tesla will need approval from regulators and support from the administration.
Top Short Sellers of Tesla Stock
A list of the top short sellers of Tesla stock has been shared by Tesla influencer and retail shareholder advocate Alexandra Merz, also known as TeslaBoomerMama. The list includes:
- MUFG Securities
- Jane Street Group
- Citadel Advisors
These companies have calls and puts, as they are market makers offering exposure to both sides for their clients and investors. Other groups, such as Key Group Holdings, Owl Creek Asset Management, and Clean Energy Transition, only have puts on Tesla.
Musk’s Comment on Short Sellers
Musk’s attention was caught by Merz’s tweet, and he responded with a warning to short sellers: “If they don’t exit their short position before Tesla reaches autonomy at scale, they will be obliterated.” This comment has sparked curiosity about when Tesla will reach autonomy at scale. While Musk hasn’t specified an exact timeline, his recent posts indicate major improvements in September 2025, with large-scale autonomy potentially arriving by late 2025 or early 2026, pending safety and regulations.
Musk’s History with Short Sellers
Short sellers are nothing new for Tesla, and neither is Musk calling out anyone betting against his company. In fact, Musk once used the same “obliterated” wording in response to Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates shorting Tesla stock. Leaked texts between Gates and Musk in 2022 revealed that Gates was short Tesla stock, and Musk refused to discuss philanthropic efforts with the billionaire as a result.
Musk has also poked fun at hedge funds and investors shorting the stock by issuing “short shorts” merchandise previously. According to data, 2.56% of the Tesla stock float is short, representing a small percentage, but with 71.99 million Tesla shares short, valued at over $24 billion.
TSLA Price Action
Tesla stock is down 0.8% to $336.44, with a 52-week trading range of $202.59 to $488.54. Tesla stock is down 11.2% year-to-date in 2025, but up 67% over the last year and over 200% over the last five years.
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