Charlie Munger on Elon Musk

Charlie Munger held a generally negative and skeptical position regarding Elon Musk's electric vehicle company, Tesla, particularly in its early years. He reportedly told an entire table of people about all the ways he expected Tesla to fail, suggesting that Musk was an overconfident individual attempting things he could not accomplish. This stance aligned with Munger's traditional investment philosophy, which often favored established businesses over highly speculative, capital-intensive startups like an early automaker. He was also quoted expressing high praise for BYD, the Chinese competitor, suggesting that its leader outclassed the chief executive of Tesla.

Despite this initial skepticism and the apparent preference for Musk's competitor, Munger later qualified his position by referring to Tesla's survival and success as a "minor miracle" in the car industry. This suggests a recognition of Musk's ability to overcome immense odds that Munger himself had predicted would lead to failure. While Munger's criticism often focused on the high-risk nature and execution challenges of Musk's ventures, his later acknowledgment shows a respect for the actual, improbable outcome achieved by the company.