"War mode" returns! Musk vows to "stay highly focused": to return to working 24 hours a day, sleeping in conference rooms/server rooms/factory rooms

"War-time CEO" Elon Musk is back.

On Saturday, Eastern Time, Tesla CEO Musk posted on the X platform that he would return to a 24-hour work mode:

"I’m going back to a 24-hour work rhythm, sleeping directly in the conference room, server room, and factory. I must focus intensely on X, xAI, Tesla, and next week's Starship rocket launch, as we have key technologies being rolled out. As this week's X platform outage has revealed, we must make significant operational improvements. The 'redundant backup system' (which is supposed to kick in when there’s a failure) should have taken over, but it didn’t work this time."

This statement was made in response to the recent outages of the X platform, highlighting his high level of concern regarding operational issues. Earlier this year, Musk announced that he would gradually withdraw from his involvement in the "Federal Government Efficiency Department" project and reduce his political engagements.

Some media pointed out that Musk feels he has been treated unfairly, being accused of being a Nazi, attacked for his political stance, and even having Tesla implicated. This has made him angry and prompted him to enter the "angry Musk" mode again.

For Tesla shareholders, an angry Musk might be a good thing. History shows that Musk often exhibits astonishing execution power when he is angry. He has sent rockets into space, pushed electric vehicles into the mainstream, and led Tesla to achieve sustained profitability after 2019 amidst skepticism.

The "Angry" Musk Awakens

Musk has recently faced considerable pressure. Tesla's first-quarter sales declined year-on-year, and profit margins continued to be under pressure; market shares in Europe and other regions were rapidly eroded by competitors like BYD; the plan for a cheap Tesla fell through, and the target of 20 million annual sales was shelved; Cybertruck sales were dismal and nearly flopped. He has been accused of being distracted by politics and lacking focus on Tesla, causing even members of Tesla's board to feel uneasy.

On Tuesday, May 20, Musk attended a conference in Qatar via video link, and in response to questions, he replied sharply and firmly. When asked when he could turn Tesla's fortunes around, he directly answered, "It's already turned around."

Musk's argument is based on stock prices; since announcing a reduction in work with the Trump administration on April 22, Tesla's stock price has risen by 43%, and its market value has returned to the trillion-dollar mark. In other words, investors are willing to believe that the "business-focused" Musk is the one who can truly create miracles.

The return of this "angry Musk" has excited fans. An influencer named "Autism Capital" commented on Musk's attendance at the Qatar event, saying, "The war-time mode Musk is online!"

Others are also following suit: "Brothers, Musk has switched to wartime CEO mode, and things are really about to happen soon."

A social media account named "MAGA" wrote: "He has played enough; the execution mode is activated."

However, the market remains cautious about Tesla's fundamentals. So far this year, Tesla's stock price has still fallen by 11%, and it is still 29% lower than its historical high. Analysts expect Tesla's sales this year to be lower than in 2024, which sharply contrasts with their expectations of year-on-year growth just a few months ago.

Although Musk has been defending his DOGE project, he has also begun to emphasize his thoughts on withdrawing from politics, as he finds the Republican-controlled Congress lacks the willingness to cut government spending.

In an interview with CNBC this Tuesday, when the host questioned his recent "political resume" in Washington, Musk exploded again. He shot back directly: "Why attack this? We have clearly made so much progress!" He also posted:

"I have come to a perhaps obvious conclusion: to improve America, the key is to accelerate GDP growth. Our DOGE project is indeed working to delay the 'bankruptcy day' of America, but government waste means that only a complete increase in productivity can save our country."

He believes that robots are at the core of the solution.

"Autonomous Driving and Robotics" as the Key to Turning the Tide?

Some media have pointed out that Musk has lost interest in "selling cars"; he finds it too boring. Now he is more focused on ushering in a new era of robotics technology—autonomous vehicles and humanoid robots.

Previously, after shareholders voted again to approve Musk's hefty compensation plan, Musk stood on stage and painted a future for Tesla filled with "humanoid robots" and "autonomous vehicles." He stated that if these goals are achieved, Tesla's future market value could exceed $30 trillion.

This Tuesday, Musk reiterated that Tesla is expected to launch autonomous taxis in Austin, Texas, by the end of June. According to his plan, about 10 cars will be on the road in the first week, with dozens more added each week, potentially reaching 1,000 cars within a few months. He also added that by the end of next year, the number of Tesla autonomous vehicles could reach several hundred thousand, or even exceed one million.

He has proposed such grand visions multiple times, but the market is most concerned about whether he can truly deliver this time. Musk's promise of "autonomous driving" has been made for a full decade. Meanwhile, Google's Waymo and Amazon's Zoox have already put real autonomous vehicles on the road Moreover, the challenges are escalating, and Tesla's position as the global electric vehicle leader is under threat. Last month, BYD's sales in Europe surpassed Tesla for the first time. In response, Musk stated, "I don't pay much attention to competitors; I just want to perfect our products."