Jay Leno: Elon Musk is the reason Tesla is the most valuable car company in the world

TruckElectric

Well-known member
First Name
Bryan
Joined
Jun 16, 2020
Threads
769
Messages
2,482
Reaction score
3,273
Location
Texas
Vehicles
Dodge Ram diesel
Occupation
Retired
Country flag
Nicolas Vega@ATNICKVEGA

Tesla Cybertruck Jay Leno: Elon Musk is the reason Tesla is the most valuable car company in the world 106148579-1569428479444gettyimages-514972844

John Lamparski | WireImage | Getty Images

Car enthusiast and former “The Tonight Show” host Jay Leno has been a Tesla fan and owner for a long time, and he credits CEO Elon Musk with making it the most valuable automaker in the world.

Tesla’s market cap hit $1 trillion earlier this week, sending Musk’s net worth skyrocketing near $300 billion after Hertz announced it will be ordering 100,000 vehicles to build out its electric vehicle rental fleet.

Musk, who co-founded the company, has been instrumental in making Tesla the success it is today, Leno says. In his view, the things that make Tesla’s cars unique, like the inclusion of the “Ludicrous mode” speed booster on some of its models, only exist because Musk owns more than 20% of the company and can demand that they be that way.

He compares Musk to visionaries like Henry Ford and Thomas Edison who could drive innovation “because they own the whole deal.”

“Can you imagine any of the major automobile manufacturers saying ‘Let’s call this high performance feature ‘Plaid’ like they did in ‘Spaceballs’ as a joke?‘” Leno says, referring to Tesla’s most high-powered vehicle. “You’d be fired or thrown out of the office. But when you own the company? Well, my car says ‘Plaid’ on the back of it.” (In the 1987 movie “Spaceballs,” spacecraft accelerate from light- to ridiculous- then ludicrous-speed and finally into “plaid.”)

Musk’s ability to influence design choices, such as the new steering wheel shape on its Model S cars, allow Tesla to stand out from the competition “because it’s one person’s idea of what it should be.”

“When you own the company, you can do whatever you want,” Leno says. “Some people love it and some people hate it, but that’s why all other cars look alike. Because everything else has to be designed by committee.”

It’s not the first time Leno has applauded Musk’s vision. He previously praised the CEO for leading the charge in a developing industry and for investing in infrastructure that makes driving an electric car — Teslas, in particular — more practical, such as the dedicated charging stations the company has built across the country.

“Jay Leno’s Garage” airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET on CNBC.

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/10/28/jay...y-tesla-is-the-most-valuable-car-company.html




Sponsored

 


Ogre

Well-known member
First Name
Dennis
Joined
Jul 3, 2021
Threads
164
Messages
10,719
Reaction score
26,998
Location
Ogregon
Vehicles
Model Y
Country flag
I’ve never really gave 2 shakes about Leno, but I respect his opinion on cars primarily because he’s rich enough he no longer cares if he loses a sponsor or two for an unpopular opinion.

All of these YouTubers out there are desperate to retain their insider access. If they are too critical, they don’t get to play with the newest toys. Nobody in their right mind is going to cut Jay Leno off of their list so he can say whatever the hell he wants.

But… I never thought he was funny or likable the way Johnny Carson was. Really they should have given the show to Joan Rivers or David Letterman, but while JC was a funny, likeable guy on the air, he was an ass IRL.
 

Richard V.

Well-known member
First Name
Richard
Joined
Oct 12, 2021
Threads
55
Messages
399
Reaction score
396
Location
Quebec
Vehicles
Chevy Volt 2015
Occupation
Retired
Country flag
I’ve never really gave 2 shakes about Leno, but I respect his opinion on cars primarily because he’s rich enough he no longer cares if he loses a sponsor or two for an unpopular opinion.

All of these YouTubers out there are desperate to retain their insider access. If they are too critical, they don’t get to play with the newest toys. Nobody in their right mind is going to cut Jay Leno off of their list so he can say whatever the hell he wants.

But… I never thought he was funny or likable the way Johnny Carson was. Really they should have given the show to Joan Rivers or David Letterman, but while JC was a funny, likeable guy on the air, he was an ass IRL.
I really do not get it with him to be honest... but that is just me.
I like that he loves the Cybertruck :)

Thanks for your comments!
One more thought here: A Christmas Story: You'll Shoot Your Eye Out - YouTube
 
Last edited:

Mrp911

Well-known member
First Name
Michael
Joined
May 22, 2021
Threads
10
Messages
104
Reaction score
277
Location
Vista Ca
Vehicles
Model 3, Cybertruck Tri-motor
Occupation
Engineering
Country flag
On top of being the owner Elon is also the Chief Engineer for his companies. Checkout the SpaceX interview below. Elon knows all the details and is able to contemplate many ideas when asked. This for me is the difference. You can get what you want as an owner but being the technical lead in parallel is real reason his companies are rocking. Let’s not forget about work ethic too.
 

Ogre

Well-known member
First Name
Dennis
Joined
Jul 3, 2021
Threads
164
Messages
10,719
Reaction score
26,998
Location
Ogregon
Vehicles
Model Y
Country flag
On top of being the owner Elon is also the Chief Engineer for his companies. Checkout the SpaceX interview below. Elon knows all the details and is able to contemplate many ideas when asked. This for me is the difference. You can get what you want as an owner but being the technical lead in parallel is real reason his companies are rocking. Let’s not forget about work ethic too.
This is one thing which many people overlook. Musk is an engineer first and a businessman second. Though Tesla and SpaceX both seems exceptionally well run in terms of being businesses too. He’s managed to surround himself with some incredibly talented people.
 


Riptide

Active member
First Name
Roland
Joined
Jan 4, 2020
Threads
0
Messages
34
Reaction score
22
Location
Los Angeles
Vehicles
Jeeps
Country flag
I’ve never really gave 2 shakes about Leno, but I respect his opinion on cars primarily because he’s rich enough he no longer cares if he loses a sponsor or two for an unpopular opinion.

All of these YouTubers out there are desperate to retain their insider access. If they are too critical, they don’t get to play with the newest toys. Nobody in their right mind is going to cut Jay Leno off of their list so he can say whatever the hell he wants.

But… I never thought he was funny or likable the way Johnny Carson was. Really they should have given the show to Joan Rivers or David Letterman, but while JC was a funny, likeable guy on the air, he was an ass IRL.
Did you spend a lot of time with Carson to form that opinion?
 

Riptide

Active member
First Name
Roland
Joined
Jan 4, 2020
Threads
0
Messages
34
Reaction score
22
Location
Los Angeles
Vehicles
Jeeps
Country flag
Him and I go way back.
Yeah, no doubt. Whether you realize it or not, these opinions people form about any celebrity are purely based on mostly mis-perception. Having known several actual well-known celebrities I can tell you that 99% of the time whatever people generally think is wrong.
Sponsored

 
 




Top