Why Shorting Tesla Is A Perilous Trade
This article was first published on June 7, 2025
Some short sellers may see the Musk-Trump feud as a tactical entry point, especially given Tesla’s regulatory exposure and reliance on federal subsidies. Antagonizing a former or future president with influence over policy could raise real headline and policy risk.
Nonetheless, shorting Tesla has long been a perilous trade due to its fan-driven retail base, short squeeze potential, and Musk’s high sensitivity to the stock price and his ability to redirect narratives accordingly.
Tesla short sellers may see their edge in the long-term mismatch between its ~$1 trillion valuation and the current reality of its business – i.e., nearly all auto-based revenue – and the uncertain viability of its highly speculative emerging tech bets.
Yet while the fundamentals remain highly speculative and stretched relative to norms, Tesla’s price is more narrative-driven than model-driven – tied to bets on future tech like autonomy, AI/robotics, and energy storage.
Shorting it is far from a pure bet against financials (especially short-term); it’s a bet against belief and perpetual innovation narratives.
Overall, it’s always important to be careful because equities are not a cut-and-dried asset class – especially in single-stock, long-duration “innovation” plays where insiders have significant influence over the narrative.
Investors should treat political feuds as a volatility amplifier rather than a directional signal.
Exposure to Tesla (in whatever form) should be sized appropriately within a broader portfolio, with recognition that the stock is essentially a long-duration call on the company’s ability to monetize future technology – and political missteps are absolutely a risk to the stock.