Tesla Stock Holds Up Amid Merger Chatter and Burry Skepticism

TSLA
$TSLA shares gained 4.8% after reports emerged that Elon Musk is weighing a merger of Tesla, SpaceX, and xAI.
Michael Burry called Musk a "desperately incentivized futurist" on X, directing criticism at the Optimus robot pivot and the planned SpaceX merger.
Retail sentiment on Reddit remained cautious: TSLA tracked a composite sentiment of 0.475 on the day, with bearish comments in r/wallstreetbets picking up Burry's line of argument.

$TSLA ended the day in the green Friday, climbing nearly 5% as the market digested a flurry of corporate‑structure speculation involving Elon Musk’s empire. The catalyst came from reports that Musk is exploring a merger of Tesla, SpaceX, and xAI, a combination analysts say could address long‑standing concerns about the CEO spreading himself across too many companies.

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Reddit Picks Up Burry’s Warning

The share‑price pop was not the only story driving

$TSLA discussion on Reddit. A post on r/wallstreetbets highlighted Michael Burry’s latest criticism of Elon Musk, in which the investor labeled Musk a “desperately incentivized futurist” and accused him of putting the “cart before the monkey” with the Optimus AI initiative. The post drew 56 upvotes and 22 comments, with users debating whether Burry’s skepticism was warranted or simply a short‑sighted take on Tesla’s long‑term robotics vision.

Burry specifically questioned the decision to repurpose EV factories for mass production of Optimus robots and reiterated concerns about stock dilution — arguments that resonated with bears in the thread. The criticism landed just as Tesla winds down production of the Model S and Model X, a move Burry framed as evidence that Musk is prioritizing futuristic projects over the core auto business that established the company.

Merger Talk: Optimism vs. Dilution

On the other side of the coin, Friday’s merger speculation gave bulls fresh ammunition. Dan Ives of Wedbush reiterated his bull case for

$TSLA as a pillar of the "physical AI" era alongside Nvidia, arguing that Full Self‑Driving adoption and the Optimus robot pipeline could push the stock to $800 per share. News reports that a merged Tesla‑SpaceX‑xAI entity could leverage Tesla’s energy‑storage know‑how to power SpaceX satellites added a tangible synergy narrative for investors.

Still, Reddit sentiment on the day registered a composite score of just 0.475, reflecting the tug‑of‑war between merger‑driven upside and Burry‑style caution. A separate post on r/stocks looked back at “tenbagger” picks from six years ago and noted that

$TSLA at a $60 billion valuation was dismissed as “too big” back then — a reminder that scale has never stopped the stock from moving.

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What Comes Next

Traders will be watching for more clarity on any actual merger structure — and for how the r/wallstreetbets crowd reacts to the

$TSLA Q4 earnings hangover. While Friday’s news provided a short‑term lift, the underlying debate over valuation, dilution, and Musk’s strategic priorities remains as active as ever on Reddit.

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