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.