Elon Musk Almost Sold Tesla To Google For $6 Billion When The Company Was On The Verge Of Bankruptcy – Now It's Worth $690 Billion

In the early 2010s, Tesla was teetering on the brink of disaster. By 2013, the company had only a few weeks of cash left, and bankruptcy seemed inevitable. The electric carmaker, which today is valued at $690 billion as of August 2024, was so close to folding that Elon Musk nearly sold it to Google for just $6 billion.

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At that time, Musk, Tesla's CEO, was in serious discussions with Google's Larry Page. According to a 2015 report from Business Insider, the deal was almost finalized. Google would acquire Tesla, infuse another $5 billion into the company to expand its factories, and keep Musk as CEO for up to eight years, or at least until Tesla rolled out its third-generation car. The agreement was nearly set in stone; the two reportedly shook hands. But then, in a twist of fate, things began to change.

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When it seemed that Tesla's fate was sealed, sales began to improve. The company posted its first quarterly profit of $11 million in 2013, a small but significant victory that gave Musk the confidence to walk away from the Google deal. This was a turning point for Tesla and the electric vehicle industry as a whole. Musk's decision to back out of the sale wasn't just about avoiding bankruptcy – it was about holding onto his vision of Tesla as a pioneer in sustainable transportation.

Reflecting on this period, Musk's move to keep Tesla independent was a pivotal moment in the company's history. Had the deal gone through, Tesla might have become just another division within a tech giant rather than the revolutionary force it is today. The near-sale to Google is a stark reminder of how close Tesla came to a completely different future.

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This wasn't the only time Musk considered selling Tesla. In 2020, he opened up about the intense pressures during the Model 3 rollout, a period marked by severe cash flow problems that almost led to the company's collapse. Musk revealed in a social media post that he had reached out to Apple's Tim Cook to discuss a possible acquisition of Tesla, then valued at just a tenth of what it is today. However, Cook declined to attend the meeting.

Today, based on market capitalization data, Tesla is the 12th most valuable company in the world. As Tesla continues to innovate and push the boundaries of the electric vehicle market, the story of its near miss with Google stands as a powerful testament to resilience and daring leadership. It's a reminder that sometimes, betting on yourself is your best decision, even when the odds are against you.

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