Musk expressed his determination: He will continue to be Tesla CEO for at least another five years unless he "dies", and will not spend a lot of money to get involved in the election.

Musk insisted on continuing to take care of Tesla and expressed his determination to continue to lead the company in the next few years. At the same time, he also stated that he would "let go" and would not invest heavily in politics as he did in the past when he participated in the US election.

Tesla investors can breathe a sigh of relief, but US President Trump and the Republican Party will lose a big "financial backer".

Continue to helm Tesla for at least five years

On Tuesday, May 20, Eastern Time, while participating remotely in the Qatar Economic Forum, Musk said that he plans to continue to serve as Tesla CEO for at least the next five years and will not give up leading Tesla unless "I die." "Yes, there is no doubt about it."

Musk stressed that his desire to maintain control of Tesla is not for monetary considerations:

"This is not a question of money, but a question of reasonable control over the future of the company."

Musk criticized the Delaware judge who twice rejected his huge compensation plan in 2018, and reiterated that he hopes to own more Tesla shares in order to maintain sufficient voting control to prevent being driven out of the company by activist investors.

Commentary believes that Musk's statement comes at the right time, as investors are increasingly concerned about his lack of investment in Tesla, especially after he led Trump's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) this year.

After Musk's speech, Tesla's stock price rose at the opening of the U.S. stock market on Tuesday, rising to $354.57 at the beginning of the session, refreshing the intraday high since February 27, and rising more than 3.6% during the day, showing that investors welcome Musk's determination to continue to lead the company. Tesla gave up some of its gains in early trading, rising less than 2%.

Downplaying Tesla's sales challenges

Last year, Tesla recorded its first annual car sales decline in more than a decade, and suffered a double-digit sales drop in many European countries at the beginning of this year. Musk insisted on Tuesday that Tesla has "turned the tide."

When questioned about Tesla's continued sales decline in major European electric vehicle markets, he admitted that Europe is the company's weakest sales region, but claimed that other regions are strong. He said:

"We are currently in good sales. We do not expect to have a significant sales shortage."

The optimistic remarks are in stark contrast to market reality. As of the close of trading on Monday, Tesla's stock price has fallen by about 15% since the beginning of the year, reflecting investors' concerns about the company facing increasingly fierce global competition.

Political enthusiasm "cools down" and political investment will be significantly reduced

Musk said on Tuesday that he will "significantly reduce" future political spending. When asked why, he answered succinctly:

"I think I've done enough."

He later said: "If I see a reason to make political expenditures in the future, I will do so. But I don't think there is a reason at the moment."

Comments believe that this shift may be a heavy blow to Trump and the Republican Party, and the Republican Party may have included Musk's generosity in its fundraising plan for the 2026 midterm elections. The media said that historically, the party of the US president almost always loses seats in the House of Representatives in the midterm elections, and the forecast market gives Trump's party only a one-fifth chance of maintaining control after 2026.

During the US election last year, Musk donated about $250 million to various political groups, becoming the largest single donor in US election history. Most of his funds were used to support Trump.

Denied damaging Tesla's image, some violent protesters should go to jail

After Trump took office, as Musk's status in the Republican Party improved, several Tesla showrooms and company charging stations and other facilities were attacked. Musk said on Tuesday that he does view protests against him as personal attacks, especially those involving hanging portraits and death threats: "It's okay to oppose political positions, but resorting to violence, hanging portraits and death threats is unacceptable."

Faced with critics accusing his political activities of damaging Tesla's brand, Musk argued that while the company lost some politically left-wing consumers, it also won right-wing consumers.

Musk harshly criticized the "massive violence" taken by protesters against Tesla and believed that some protesters should go to jail. He said:

"They are on the wrong side of history, and this is evil behavior. Action must be taken against them, and some of them will go to jail, and they deserve it."

Starlink may go public

In addition to Tesla, Musk also runs SpaceX and owns social media platform X and neurotechnology startup Neuralink. On Tuesday, Musk hinted that his satellite Internet service "Starlink" may be independent in the future: "Starlink may be listed independently in the future."

The news may arouse investors' interest in new growth points of Musk's business empire, especially when Tesla faces competitive pressure.

Overall, Musk’s statements appeared aimed at reassuring Tesla investors who worry he is spreading himself too thin, while also potentially marking a shift toward a more cautious stance in the political arena.