Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) shares were in focus on Monday following weekend developments that included comments from President Donald Trump about Elon Musk and new details on Tesla’s ambitious Optimus humanoid robot program. The stock gained about 1.8% in premarket trading.
Trump spoke positively about Musk while addressing reporters aboard Air Force One, calling him “great” and “well-meaning,” and describing the Tesla CEO as “80% supergenius and 20% he makes mistakes.” Musk later responded on X, saying he “had a lovely dinner last night with @POTUS and @FLOTUS” and adding that “2026 is going to be amazing!”
Attention also turned to a detailed Wall Street Journal report on Tesla’s Optimus robot, which Musk has framed as potentially “the biggest product of all time” with the capacity to generate “infinite” revenue. Musk’s revised compensation plan gives him 10 years to help transform Tesla into an $8.5 trillion company and to sell at least one million robots—milestones that could ultimately deliver him a compensation package valued at up to $1 trillion.
Despite the expansive vision, the Optimus project continues to face substantial technical obstacles. Current prototypes are largely built by hand, and engineers are still working to develop robotic hands that match human levels of dexterity and sensitivity. In public demonstrations, the robots are frequently operated remotely by engineers using body suits and virtual-reality headsets.
Within Tesla, some employees have questioned whether humanoid robots are the most efficient solution for routine manufacturing tasks, arguing that purpose-built automation may be better suited for specific factory functions. Robotics experts broadly agree that achieving reliable dexterity and environmental awareness remains one of the field’s most difficult challenges.
Tesla has already stepped back from earlier targets to deploy commercial Optimus robots in its factories by the end of this year and is now focused on advancing a third-generation version.
The robotics push comes as Tesla’s core automotive business faces headwinds. Vehicle sales fell 16% in the fourth quarter and declined 9% across 2025, allowing China’s BYD to overtake Tesla as the world’s largest EV seller. After sliding earlier in 2025 on weaker EV demand, Tesla’s shares have rebounded in recent months on optimism around Musk’s renewed focus on robotaxis and humanoid robots.