After a shareholder said his trust in Tesla’s timelines had eroded, Musk replied: “I think I do have issues with time. I have a condition: When my brother and I were catching a bus to school he would lie about the time. He would say it was later than it actually was, and we would always catch the bus.”
For shareholders weary about Tesla’s production delays, Musk held out hope. “I’m trying to recalibrate these estimates as much as possible,” he said. “I could say when I think it will occur, but I’m typically optimistic about these things. Hopefully less optimistic over time.” Tesla’s rise is due in good part to Musk’s optimism. A little more realism may just help the company to keep growing.