Elon Musk has taken Tesla, Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA) a long way from its early days during the 2000s. One billionaire regrets not throwing his weight behind the billionaire entrepreneur's electric-vehicle firm around the time he took the helm.
What Happened: John Doerr had an opportunity to back Musk-led Tesla in 2017 but finally decided against it, the venture capitalist said in an interview with Bloomberg Television.
Despite a slew of new car companies going bankrupt, the firm was still attracted to the market and had a choice of backing a “brilliant car designer” named Henrik Fisker or an “ambitious, slightly crazy” Musk at Tesla, Doerr said.
“Well, we made the wrong decision,” Doerr told Bloomberg. “That's probably the worst investment decision of all time.”
Musk took control of Tesla in 2008 when it faced many teething problems, but once it got going with its budget Model 3 sedan, there has been no looking back.
Tesla has now produced 3 million cars and has manufacturing plants in Asia and Europe. The company’s stock has gone parabolic over these years, with a current market capitalization of about $1 trillion.
Price Action: Tesla shares closed Tuesday’s session 2.26% higher at $889.36, according to Benzinga Pro data.
Photo via JD Lasica on Wikimedia
© 2026 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
To add Benzinga News as your preferred source on Google, click here.
