Admittedly, when I flew into Austin, Texas on November 5th I was already a fan of Tesla. I had purchased a 2022 Model 3 three years ago and discovered it’s, by a longshot, the best vehicle I’ve driven in my thirty-five years behind the wheel. Even before that purchase I believed in the company’s mission. However, what I experienced in Austin during the 2025 Tesla Shareholder Meeting brought my appreciation of the company, its CEO—Elon Musk—and their mission to an entirely new level.
During the Texas GigaFactory tour and subsequent keynote at the shareholder meeting one possible version of humanity’s future came into focus for me and it was a glorious one. The message during Tesla’s 2025 Shareholder meeting wasn’t just focused on their vehicles, robots, or energy management business as much as it was centered around one theme—Sustainable Abundance for All.
I guess I could be described as a lifelong futurist. Since I’ve been a young boy I’ve been utterly fascinated by technology and how it can solve humanity’s problems and make our lives a little better, easier, and more entertaining. If anyone alive today can envision the potential of our collective future as well as helping to shape it in a more positive way it’s Elon Musk.
One thing is undeniable—humanoid robots and artificial intelligence will soon be displacing millions of jobs performed by humans. This genie is already out of the bottle, the only thing up for discussion is humanity's role in this Age of AI and Robotics and how this tsunami of technological innovation will reshape our lives.
The World Economic Forum (WEF), IMF, and others (as of November 2025), estimates suggest 15–30% of the global workforce (roughly 500–1,000 million jobs) could be significantly displaced or transformed by 2035. This equates to net displacement of 200–400 million full-time equivalent roles after accounting for job creation, with higher impacts in advanced economies like the US (20–40% exposure).
As I see it there’s a battle actively happening right now between two very different versions of this not-so-distant future. One version of our future isn’t all that different from the lives we live today—existing in a world of scarcity, living lives focused on work (if there are jobs to perform), people continuing to struggle to make ends meet, and enjoying whatever little time we have left at the end of the day for ourselves. This is a world where the middle class really only exists in our imaginations and survives on the scraps that powerful corporations and governments decide to throw our way.
Tesla’s vision of the future is entirely different. Their vision of the future is sustainable abundance for all, lives lived to seek out the best in ourselves and in others, a world where our economy grows by leaps and bounds and a portion of this economic boom is provided to everyone on Earth. I won't go into the details of Tesla's plans but, for those who are interested, this information can be readily found online.
Will Tesla accomplish this? Only the future holds this answer. But I, for one, wouldn’t bet against Elon Musk. Especially since he’ll only collect that trillion dollar pay package a decade from now (in 2035) if he meets his, seemingly impossible, thresholds required. When you consider he hasn't received a dollar in salary since Tesla began in 2008 the pay package doesn't quite seem as outlandish considering how much value he's helped create for the company and its shareholders.
In our painfully divided world the media openly spins half-truths and outright lies to get outcomes they wish and change public sentiment. People are so often deceived by headlines but it's never been more important to drill down and seek out the facts on your own before forming opinions.
All in all, the 2025 Tesla Shareholder Meeting was as enjoyable as it was eye-opening. As we boarded the busses after the day's events we were handed this Optimus coaster made from the same hardened steel as the CyberTruck and Starship Rocket. A parting gift of some of the strongest steel on Earth seems fitting, considering the monumental tasks that lie ahead for the company and us all.
As a species, we've come to one of the biggest forks in the road we've ever faced. In these next few years we must decide what kind of future we want to dream of, work towards, and fight for. As for me, my mind is already made up.
Tap on the supercut below for the highlights of the keynote.
All for now. Thanks so much for reading.
It sounds like it was everything you could have hoped for! I am glad you had a good time! I'm still on the fence about all of this. I think he burned a lot of bridges with his recent antics and he needs to work on fixing that image.
Yes, it was all I hoped for but the meeting impacted me in some unsuspecting ways as well. Yes, I know a lot of people feel that way about Elon now. He can be rash and impulsive but believe his intentions are good. I don't think his political views have really changed that much throughout the past decade but the US political parties and public sentiment have. Politically, I still consider myself an independent-moderate. Given the evidence I believe that our free speech was being compromised greatly before the acquisition of Twitter. It's going to be an interesting journey over this next decade. All I can say is—what a time to be alive.
I don't really know what I am anymore. I just think that people should be able to be who they are and try to live their best life without a lot of grief. I'd say I lean more left, but I don't agree with everything they do, however, the rights disdain for empathy is something I can't tolerate or wrap my head around.
I feel the same way most of the time. So much has changed or maybe it’s always been this way and the veil has been parted?
I still think Elon has an amazing innovative mind, but I think he should have focused on that. Maybe he saw a way to bring change in a different way, but it feels like it was wasted time and resources at this point.
I think he thought the government could be fixed but he's admitted recently he discovered it's so corrupt at this point he doesn't feel it can be.
That doesn't surprise me.
I hope we choose the path that leads to the kind of future Elon envisions. Glad you had the opportunity to be there. How cool would it be if, 30 years from now, in a world that no longer remember scarcity you could say: "Yeah, I was there when Elon Musk made that bet."
Me too, Rebecca. It's clear to me that Elon's main motivation isn't money, it's the greater good. We only need to pay attention to his actions, many of which aren't reported accurately, or at all, by the media.
How cool would it be if, 30 years from now, in a world that no longer remember scarcity you could say: "Yeah, I was there when Elon Musk made that bet."
I couldn't help but think that very thing as I sat there during the meeting. It really felt like a monumental moment.
The concept of a future where there is no scarcity is something we should all aim for. It's important that we participate in conversations about our responsibilities in this new era of AI and robotics.
Absolutely!
There is a fundamental problem with all this that Elon is well aware of and mentions often, but never speaks about the relatively near term implications (for obvious reasons).
Ultra-low fertility means the working/consuming age population is already dropping in ALL countries where people can afford Teslas & Optimus robots (other than Israel). And it will continue to drop increasingly rapidly for the next 60 years, at least.
Even if current downward fertility trends were to reverse right now it would take at least 30 years to reach replacement fertility & then small childbearing cohorts would still lead to shrinking consuming age population for another 30 years.
But the downward trends are getting worse year by year. Not just Europe & East Asia but North & South America & Islamic world too.
The global growth model is ending.
It simply cannot be maintained in the face of rapid demographic decline. Fewer consumers means fewer sales; fewer sales means less revenue; less revenue means lower profits & increasing losses; this tanks stock prices & leads to less investment. Less investment means less innovation.
Its a vicious, self-reinforcing downward spiral that leads to a Dark Age.
Only companies (like Tesla) producing products that currently don't exist & become 'must have' (like an iPhone in 2005) will be able to grow.
Companies producing things people already have, especially those with long lifetimes, are in deep trouble. Robots can produce widgets by the millions but who is going to buy them.
Robots & AI can produce, but only People consume.
Musk is a race against time to colonise Mars before the human capital that is needed (millions of talented, motivated, youngish people) becomes such a scarce commodity that it becomes impossible to attract it.
The depressing reality is that Optimus Robots's main role may be adult diaper changing.
Your vision of the future could very well come to be. Ultra-low fertility rates are shrinking the workforce and consumer base. Projections are showing a peak population by 2080 followed by rapid decline. If 2080 is correct then we'll have more than enough time to transition into this new societal model. Elon Musk frequently talks about this population collapse while skirting near-term implications, maybe to keep investor confidence. Musk shared during his keynote that Tesla's is pivoting away from cars (ceasing production of the S, 3, X, and Y by 2030) to products like autonomous RoboTaxis, Optimus robots, and AI-driven ecosystems. I think this could break the cycle of decline and actually turn demographic scarcity into an opportunity. I think you’re right that only companies creating new, indispensable products (like the iPhone did in 2005) can grow in these kinds of shrinking markets.
Your point that only people consume is true in our current timeline. However, Tesla’s ecosystem is hoping to blur this line. Optimus robots, powered by Tesla’s AI, could become semi-autonomous economic agents creating a circular economy. Robots will maintain RoboTaxis, build solar farms, and recycle materials, reducing costs and will create some self-sustaining revenue loops. Optimus will also fill in for the shrinking workforce. In our aging society, its likely that robots will effectively act as a kind of proxy for human consumption. For example, a family might not buy a car but will pay for RoboTaxi rides or Optimus services, effectively outsourcing consumption to Tesla’s network. This could flip the demographic decline into a driver for greater demand for automation.
I think AI will potentially be solving all kinds of existential problems humanity is facing in the future as well, fertility being one of those. Humanity's behavior and intelligence just isn't evolving at a fast enough rate to get us out of the many challenges that we're faced with. I think our impediments are more behavioral than intellectual, things like—greed, corruption, and tribalism are holding us back.
Our future is still somewhat blurry but I remain optimistic. I'm so glad more people are thinking about this now and it's an ongoing conversation. As much as it pains us, and no matter how much we complain about change, humanity is awfully good at making major pivots when we're required to. I have faith we'll solve this. Thanks for the thoughtful comment!
Interesting that Tesla is pivoting away from cars. Are there going to be replacement models or a complete exit?
The projections of peak population in 2080 which you refer to are from the UN - they are outdated and incorrect. Indeed the UN has been consistently forecasting many low fertility countries to have substantial implausible increases in fertility. This has obviously not happened.
Based on the latest figures, which include huge drops in birthrates in the last few years, the total population peak will be in 2060 or even earlier.
But it is peak working age population, rather than total, that is most relevant economically.
This may peak as soon as 2035.
Demographers I follow, using latest figures, say Global fertility has dropped below replacement already. African birthrates are dropping sharply & almost everywhere else has fallen far below replacement.
The thing is that Making Life Multi-planetary needs (1 million+) relatively young (fertile) people to move to Mars and have plenty of kids there.
Thus Musk is really racing against time. Even assuming (very) optimistically that mass settlement of Mars could begin in the 2034 launch window, he will be seeking settlers from a fast shrinking pool.
I was surprised when Elon said this during his keynote. They're planning on making a full pivot to CyberCabs and RoboVans (their fully autonomous vehicles) and also concentrate on the Optimus robot. This seems like a premature move because people will still want to drive. He's betting everything on autonomy—typical high-risk Elon move. I hope it pays off!
Oh, that's concerning. I'd say even if it's 2060, considering how quickly AI is evolving, it might be enough time to solve a lot of challenges. I read that there are only a couple of areas of the world where birthrates are at the ideal rate of replacement.
It is definitely a race against time. I've heard SpaceX talks very recently about a moonbase settlement before Mars. That makes sense to use the moon as a "trial run" and staging area. Avi Loeb, the scientist in the news recently about 3I/Atlas, disagrees with outposts on Mars. He thinks we should build platforms in space and just begin building ships and habitats.
Yes there is a debate between the Martians & the O'Neilians with Elon on one side & Bezos on the other, although recently Elon has become open to O'Neilian ideas.
It is looking like SpaceX intends to provide enough launch capacity for both to happen simultaneously.
Indeed, because of the timing of Mars launch windows only every 26 months there will be huge launch capacity available for non-Mars projects during around 23 out of 26 months.
This was fantastic to read, Eric! Really gave me goosebumps in a good way. We can only hope, if this is a battle, the "good side" wins and we end up in the future Elon and his group envision. After all, we don't have to be slated for the evil, self-interested, despotic fuckers to keep on winning, do we? :) It sounds monumental... and like you had an absolute fucking blast. I'm so happy for you, my friend <3
Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it. I felt as though I had a revelation while listening to the keynote. I mean, I'd consumed probably dozens of hours of speeches and videos up until that point but there's something about the impact of being there brought it all into focus for me. I think so much about the kind of future we have relies on our mindset today. There's never been a better time to be optimistic or become a "maker" instead of a "taker". I'm of the belief that to be pessimistic now is to give up completely. I believe Elon's direct experience with how f*cked up government really is is one of his main drivers to make the pivot towards AI and robotics. He discovered it can't even be fixed from the inside so he's reinventing the wheel, so to speak. I appreciate it! I'm so very grateful to have had this opportunity. : )
As you said, if someone can do something with this knowledge that the society we've built has rotten pillars, it's Elon or no one.
We had a couple of classes with a similar conclusion at PA - it's a good time to be optimistic (as opposed to the perennial doom that seems to be put forward lately). What an important message to send to the world.
I think he's pretty well positioned to make a difference and has the personality for it. I hope the greed and corruption is left in this old world and we're able to shed that mentality in the new one. It's so very important that we stay positive and seek out the good during this transition. I have a feeling our world a decade from now will be almost unrecognizable from the one we live in today. That change is going to happen at lightening-speed.
I was just watching your Waymo ride on YT - do you think, if these things prove feasible long term, they'll eventually get rid of the control buttons and things? Since the robot doesn't need them to pilot anyway. A autonomous taxi could just look like a box...Or like anything else really... (super cool btw)
I think we'll eventually just see a screen in the vehicles and there won't even be any steering wheel or driver controls. This is how the CyberCab is designed.
The cars will operate seamlessly with the app(s). Waymo's driving ability and ease of use was pretty impressive but with all those expensive Lidar scanners on the cars I just don't know how they'll scale and be profitable. I think this is where Tesla has the advantage. Every car they sell is capable of autonomous driving using just regular cameras.
Amazon is throwing their hat into the autonomous taxi ring with Zoox. It's got that box design that you describe.
What I'm really excited about is the RoboVan. It's an art deco design with a modern spin.
The world is changing super fast, and I'm sure we're going to see many exciting things, especially after listening to the snippets from Elon Musk! Right up your alley, my friend.
Yes, it is indeed!
It’s great to see someone focus on the positive side of technology and how Tesla’s vision could bring real change. The idea of “sustainable abundance for all” sounds hopeful, and I agree that if handled right, AI and robotics can make life better instead of creating more problems.
It'll be interesting to see if they achieve their stated goals! I'll be rooting for them.
First of all, I'm glad you enjoyed yourself and had a good time.
Elon Musk is a visionary, and it's great that he's pursuing these ideas for a future without scarcity.
The topic of AI and robotics, when used well and for the betterment of humanity and to solve the most important problems, would be a big step toward sustainable well-being.
Thanks for sharing, my friend @ericvancewalton. Have a great week. Cheers and best regards.
Thank you Antonio! I appreciate your friendship as well. Enjoy the week!
I hope on of things that comes out if this technological revolution is that we can calmly agree as a planet that number go up is not the measure of financial or economic health.
I guess I better start saving for my robot.
Yes, I think part of the transition we're going to go through will involve upper-middle-class-level UBI. I see no other way this works. If everyone's basic needs are taken care of I think we'll see a shift away from our mentality of scarcity. It would be interesting to see how UBI would move the needle in that regard. Optimus will probably cost the equivalent of an entry level new car ($35k) at first but the prices will come down. There will also be a lot of competitors that are less expensive.
So about $85k AUD by time it gets here :p
🙁
From your post I see that you are completely sold on the future of Tesla :)
Heck you almost convinced me to establish my first position in TSLA...
Looking at the chart I see a bull flag, though it also can be seen as a short term double top which could break down into a support area of $350 or even a longer term double top that would bring us to levels of $150 to $250 which seems really unlikely unless we have a bear market hit the stock market.
On the positive side if TSLA stock breaks $500 that would be a psychological level and technical level that would send the price into the price discovery territory...
For now I will sit tight and watch it...
I'm not completely sold on it but I HOPE Tesla's plan comes to fruition and I'm rooting for it. It's the best plan I've heard yet. I view TSLA stock much in the same way I do Bitcoin at this point—I'll be DCA'ing into it for the long haul and hodling. I think the potential upside is too great not to at this point.
Makes sense, I have more than half of my 401k sitting in money market earning 4% right now, I will be looking to enter into Tesla on a correction... Thinking $370 is a good first buy point, but it might never get there, we will have to see.
I'm hearing from a few financial analysts that the stock is overvalued atm. I don't care much about that. I favor the long-haul, Warren Buffet, approach and buy stock in companies I believe in steadily over time. I just heard Vanguard bought 1M shares recently.
Can you imagine saying, in a few years: “I was there when it all began.” It's incredible how the problem is what humans are going to do with AI. Deep down, it's a problem of leadership, ethics, and capabilities. Because the idea is not to replace humans, but to supervise, guide, and validate. I like people like you, who, beyond criticism, are capable of defending their ideas and saying that they belong to a group even if they are pelted with stones. Human beings are the source of creativity, but we need awareness, we need to think. I imagine that when fire was invented, people thought we would be burned to a crisp, but that didn't happen. So what will we do with this advance that is already changing everything? I send you a hug, my friend.
Can you imagine saying, in a few years: “I was there when it all began.”
I've had this thought so many times since the meeting, Nancy! I'm so grateful to have had that opportunity to be a witness to it. You understand the mission perfectly. This isn't to replace us but to enhance our lives and to finally put to rest our struggles for the basics/necessities of physical survival. Can you imagine how the more positive aspects of our personalities might flourish in this environment? I think fear is many people's first emotion when it comes time to facing major changes. Many people are in this "fear phase" now but that will change, as it always has. When electricity was first introduced to the wider population many thought it would be the end of civilization. Society's initially reacted this way during almost every major wave of technological innovation. Thanks for reading and for your comment! I hope you're enjoying your week.
Just as you said that the drive-up of this car is the most liked thing in my 35-year career, it is a fact that today we are seeing that Tesla is becoming quite popular all over the world. Now, I have seen a couple of cars here in my city. There is no charging station here yet, but still people are buying this car.
That's great that you're seeing Teslas in your city. I hope you get to experience a ride or drive in one soon! You can charge them at home, this is what I do.
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STOPTesla’s vision for a future with sustainable abundance is really exciting, especially with all the changes AI and robotics are bringing. It’s interesting to see how Elon Musk is trying to shape a positive path forward.