> If his incredible run of success dries up, the narrative is going to shift hard.

I remember how Apple kicked out Jobs.

Any chance Tesla will suddenly find a competing company in EV market which it can buy with certain conditions?..

I know it's fashionable of late to lionize Jobs, but was it really him or was it just the "second-generation effect"?

Look at Microsoft under Ballmer, or Google after Page/Brin. All seem(ed) to be hollow shells of what once was.

Google has been anything but a hollow shell from a shareholder's perspective. They've gone from strength to strength.

Google was wildly successful under Eric Schmidt.

Yes Elon has a reality distortion field but that's allowed when pushing for real progress. A reality distortion field becomes a self fulfilling prophecy and it has the ability to change the fabric of our reality. I didn't expect the kind of naysayer here on HN.

I think it depends on why Tesla goes Chapter 11 and who acquires it.

If it's because he did something entirely insane you're probably right. If it's because market conditions shifted post Covid-19 I think he's been enough of a rainmaker that people would likely still leave him in charge.

If a friend of his who is willing to put up with his antics (e.g. Larry Page) managed to acquire it, it's probably more likely than if risk adverse/sensational personality adverse institutional investors acquired it.

Admittedly at this point I doubt Larry Page would be able to easily front the money any more... Tesla's assets have grown substantially in value since back then.