Musk Pitches ‘Optimus’ as Tesla’s Biggest Bet—and Work’s Future

Elon Musk is pitching Tesla’s Optimus humanoid robot as his biggest product ever, casting it as central to the company’s future and to a broader AI-driven economy in which machines take on far more of the work people do today.

What Happened

Musk has steadily elevated Optimus from side project to core strategy, telling investors the initiative could ultimately define Tesla’s value. Musk says Optimus could drive 80% of Tesla’s value, a prediction he made on September 2, 2025, as the company updated its long-term plan to lean harder into robotics and “physical AI.” (bloomberg.com)

The Bigger Picture

For Musk, Optimus is more than a factory helper. He has framed the robot as a multipurpose machine that, over time, could take on a wide range of repetitive or physically demanding tasks at work and at home. The vision helps explain Tesla’s costly pivot toward real-world AI and custom actuators, hands, and software—areas where the company argues its scale and vertical integration can confer an edge. The Wall Street Journal recently detailed how Optimus has become a flagship ambition inside Tesla, even as the technology faces steep hurdles in dexterity, reliability, and cost. (wsj.com)

Reality Check

Progress has been tangible but uneven. At an October 2024 “We, Robot” showcase near Los Angeles, Optimus prototypes mingled with attendees and performed simple tasks. Later reporting showed that some of those interactions were remotely operated, underscoring how far Tesla still has to go before the robot can consistently work without human assistance in unstructured environments. (bloomberg.com)

Why It Matters

If Tesla can make Optimus useful and affordable at scale, it could open a new market well beyond cars—one that many tech and industrial companies are racing to define. Musk also links the robot to a longer-term societal shift, arguing that as AI and humanoids improve, more human labor could become optional. Supporters see a productivity boom; skeptics point to the long history of robotics hype and the stubborn difficulty of human-like manipulation, safety, and economics. The Journal’s recent reporting captures both the ambition and the gap: Optimus is advancing, but key capabilities remain a work in progress. (wsj.com)

What’s Next

Tesla says it will keep training Optimus inside its own operations before wider deployment, a path meant to harden the robot on real tasks while iterating the design. Investors will watch for concrete milestones: reliable autonomy outside demos, unit economics that improve with volume, and proof the platform can do valuable, repeatable work. Until then, Optimus remains Tesla’s boldest promise—and its highest bar to clear. Some Optimus demos were remotely operated, Bloomberg reported, a reminder that commercialization will hinge on consistent, unscripted performance. (bloomberg.com)

Sources

• Tesla Will Derive 80% of Its Value From Optimus Robot, Musk Says — Bloomberg (September 2, 2025)
• Tesla’s Optimus Robots Were Remotely Operated at Cybercab Event (TSLA) — Bloomberg (October 14, 2024)
• Inside Elon Musk's Optimus Robot Project — Wall Street Journal (January 3, 2026)