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They say hindsight is 20/20, but for Will.i.am, it might just be worth billions. The Black Eyed Peas frontman and tech investor had the chance to ride Tesla’s stock to astronomical heights—but instead, he watched from the sidelines as Elon Musk transformed the company into an electric empire.
In 2006, Will.i.am bet on the company before Musk officially took the reins. “I invested in Tesla in 2006, before Elon [Musk] took over the company, and he’s done great, taking it to where it is,” he recently told Fortune. “Hopefully, he can figure out a way to get it back to its glory.”
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Tesla’s stock debuted in 2010 at $17 per share—$1.13 after stock splits. On Dec. 17, it peaked at around $480. That means an early investor who held onto their shares would have made over 420 times their initial investment. Even at its current $282 per share as of April 2, that’s a 200x return. Had Will.i.am kept his stake, his net worth might look very different today.
While Tesla’s meteoric rise turned early believers into multi-millionaires, it hasn’t been all smooth driving. Industry experts are divided over the stock’s future.
According to Bloomberg, Tesla’s dominance is slipping, with EV competitors like BYD and legacy automakers like Ford and General Motors ramping up production. But not everyone agrees. ARK Invest’s Cathie Wood remains bullish, projecting a $2,000 per share valuation by 2027, citing Tesla’s advancements in AI and full self-driving capabilities.
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Adding to the turbulence, a 2024 report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration highlighted concerns about Tesla’s Autopilot system, linking it to multiple accidents. Meanwhile, Musk’s political controversies have contributed to a decline in Tesla’s brand perception and sales.
