My Age of Investment

The entrance of a hotel in Silicon Valley.

In front of the sign-in wall with the Tesla Logo printed on it, the crowd formed a long queue.

Present the invitation letter in order, and after signing in, people can receive a Tesla gift bag, which contains some gadgets, such as a Tesla car toy model.

Wearing a peaked cap, a fake beard, and sunglasses, Musk took the gift bag and swaggered into the hotel.

As a business tycoon, it is actually a very dangerous thing for him to spy on his opponent's military situation in disguise. His subordinates warned him one after another, and some people proposed a plan to go deep into the tiger's den on behalf of the boss.

Musk didn't listen to his subordinates, he just wanted to come and see for himself.

Tesla has actually started mass production and delivery, and their prototype cars are still full of problems, and they haven't even started selling.

In terms of development, Tesla is at least one to two years ahead of Nikola.

Musk gradually realized the reality, and no longer underestimated Tesla or Xia Jingxing.

Now others are the leaders, and they are the chasers.

If it weren't for the embarrassment of being caught, he would have jumped over the wall and entered the Tesla campus in the middle of the night to have a look.

In fact, they had previously sent people to Tesla to wander around and secretly took pictures, but after being caught once, they never dared to send people again.

Because Tesla was very damaged, not only did the entire Silicon Valley know about this incident, but also posted related videos on the Internet, which made Nikola Motors famous.

Electric cars are not easy to do. This is also the lesson of blood and tears that Musk has learned in the past three years.

Nikola is not as powerful as Tesla in burning money, but it also swallowed tens of millions of dollars from Musk. Until now, mass production and profitability are still far away.

In addition, the external financing environment faced by Nikola is also very harsh.

Thinking of this, Musk is not angry.

Tesla has exposed its financial crisis several times, scaring investors in the entire Silicon Valley from looking at the case of electric vehicles. It is a scourge if you step on a horse, and it hurts your peers.

No way, no investors are optimistic about Nicholas, so he has no choice but to follow Xia Jingxing and support a company by himself.

What's even more infuriating is that he is not as rich as Xia Jingxing, and he has to support another gold-throwing behemoth - SpaceX.

SpaceX is not doing well now. Although it has won a contract of nearly 400 million US dollars from NASA, the first launch of Falcon 1 failed more than half a year ago, and it set off an expensive firework.

At present, SpaceX is still licking its wounds and cannot take care of another suffering brother, Nikola Motor.

Musk dispelled the distracting thoughts in his mind and strode into the conference hall.

He found an inconspicuous corner and sat down, ready to keep his eyes open and take a good look at the car delivery ceremony organized by Tesla today, to see if he could learn anything from it.

As time went on, the seats in the conference hall gradually filled up.

Suddenly, the lights of the audience dimmed.

Straubel took the microphone and walked quickly onto the stage.

"Today is the last day of 2006. As the new year approaches, Tesla has finally fulfilled the customer's entrustment, and built the first batch of Roadster cars before 2007. Today, the first batch of 200 A car was handed over to the customer, to accompany everyone to spend a happy Christmas holiday..."

There was thunderous applause from the audience, and the sound of whistles was endless.

Some of the customers present laughed happily because they were the first batch of lucky ones to get the car.

They are true fans of the Roadster, otherwise they would not have spent $100,000 to buy this car, and they would have to wait a year and a half or even two years to get the car.

Straubel looked at the applauding audience with a bitter smile, and he dared not speak further.

He gritted his teeth and said bravely, "But here, first of all, I would like to apologize to the customers who ordered the Roadster."

The audience in the audience was stunned and a little confused.

"We could have sent an apology email to our customers, or made an apology call, but we chose not to do that because we wanted to do our best to show our sincerity."

Some people in the audience thought that Tesla delayed the delivery time, so they wanted to apologize to everyone, and the CEO personally apologized on the spot.

There are not many companies that value and respect customers like this! Must be tolerant!

"It's okay! This is the best Christmas present we've ever received."

"Isn't it just delayed delivery! We forgive you!"

"Tesla, We are all in (go all in)."

...

There was laughter in the audience, and some people shouted Tesla's corporate slogan.

Straubel scratched his forehead, making it even harder to speak.

"Your new CEO is so young!"

Sitting in the first row, Bezos turned his head to look at Xia Jingxing who was sitting next to him.

"Young is good, it means innovation, which is suitable for an innovative company like Tesla." Xia Jingxing replied with a smile.

Gates, who was sitting on the other side of Xia Jingxing, suddenly asked, "Daren, why don't you become the CEO?"

Xia Jingxing shook his head, "There are too many things on hand, and I don't have time to take care of others."

Xia Jingxing was actually quite surprised that these two business tycoons came to the scene today to support them.

Bezos Venture Capital and Waterfall Investment only invested a little money, and they didn't pay much attention to Tesla.

Both, however, ordered a "Founder" model Roadster.

Today, the limited edition of 100 Founders Edition Roadster cars will also be delivered to all business leaders.

After all, those who have added money, 200,000 US dollars a set, should enjoy it first.

On these 100 cars, Tesla not only did not lose money, but made a small profit, but not much, just a few million dollars.

This amount of money cannot make up for the loss caused by the high cost of the ordinary version of the sports car.

On the stage, Straubel still gritted his teeth and told the truth: "In addition to the delay in delivery, I need to apologize to everyone for the accident, and the manufacturing cost of the Roadster is also a bit unexpected..."

With the audience stunned, Straubel quickly explained the reason for the high cost-the multi-stage gearbox was changed to a single-speed gearbox, and the original thyristor was replaced with a more advanced IGBT to control power.

Immediately there was booing from the audience, followed by an uproar.

They are already priced at 100,000 US dollars. Listening to this tone, is it necessary to increase the price?

Don't raise the price early, don't raise the price later, but choose to raise the price when it is delivered? What is this, a threat to customers?

This can’t be blamed on the customer’s overthinking. It’s just that Tesla can make too much trouble, even if the price is high. Everyone chooses to endure because of love, and the delivery is postponed again and again. Everyone continues to endure...

But now you still want to raise the price, how can I bear it?

However, most people are still very sensible, ready to listen to Straubel's next words, and then make plans.

Musk smiled sinisterly, and now there is a good show to watch.

He felt that this trip was not in vain, and that Nikola should pay attention to pricing in the future. This is called crossing the river by feeling Tesla.

In another corner of the audience, Wang Tao and his mentor Li Zexiang were also talking about Tesla's pricing.

Straubel heard the noisy voices in the audience, and he simply went all out, shaking his head.

"In order to pursue the ultimate performance, the cost of Roadster was forced to increase to 120,000 US dollars, but we do not plan to increase the price by 20,000 US dollars on the basis of 100,000 US dollars.

This is Tesla's mistake, and Tesla will bear all the losses. "

There was a sudden turn of events, and someone in the audience breathed a sigh of relief.

But Straubel's next words made their hearts lift again.

"However, Tesla is a start-up company. In order to build the Roadster, we burned more than 100 million U.S. dollars, apportioned to the 2,450 cars that have been sold, and each car has a research and development cost of 50,000 U.S. dollars.

This part of the cost should be borne by a new Tesla company and will not be passed on to customers.

However, the manufacturing cost is higher than the selling price of 20,000 US dollars, which is a loophole of nearly 50 million US dollars, and Tesla's cash flow is really unbearable.

So we decided to raise the price of the Roadster to $110,000.

The $10,000 price increase is what Tesla owes everyone.

Everyone can open the gift bag you received, and there is a $10,000 car purchase voucher inside, which is our compensation for every user who subscribes to the Roadster. "

It was said that everyone in the audience, including Musk, opened the gift bag, and there was really a beautifully crafted voucher inside.

Someone has seen this voucher before, but they just don't know what to use it for.

"This coupon is permanently valid and can be used by oneself or given to others. It doesn't matter if it is lost. We have entered the car purchase information of all customers.

No matter when and where, as long as the user brings this voucher or the car purchase procedures of the early Roadster to Tesla to buy a car, whether it is ordering a new Roadster or a follow-up model launched by Tesla, it can be redeemed without threshold. $10,000 off the purchase price of the car.

Tesla, you must pay your debts!

We will publish this information on the official website and the media, and implore everyone to monitor and repay the debt.

We are willing to bet all of Tesla's business reputation and hope that everyone will give Tesla a chance to survive.

In the days to come, we will strictly control costs, make the company profitable, and gradually repay the debt of this ten thousand dollars.

Of course, these are not mandatory. If a user wants to cancel the subscription of the Roadster, we will also refund the full amount of the car subscription. "

There was no sound in the audience.

Can you still play like this? Is this a blank check?

Someone suddenly stood up and asked loudly: "If Tesla goes bankrupt, won't the ten thousand dollar coupon be invalid?"

Other people in the audience nodded their heads one after another. Debts of death are eliminated, and those who fart must pay their debts.

At this time, Xia Jingxing slowly walked onto the stage.

He took the microphone handed by Straubel, looked at the audience, smiled and said: "I will be a guarantor for Tesla, 2450 people, 24.5 million US dollars, Tesla is not yet available, I will pay back the money !

Everyone remember to follow my Facebook account, or go to see the Fuxing mobile phone displayed at the counter of Fleissen's offline business outlets next year.

Please rest assured, I will definitely not run away, and the debt of more than 20 million US dollars will not scare me away. "

Some people nodded in the audience. They believed that the famous Dai Lun Xia would not run away. After all, a hair uprooted was thicker than their legs.

It's just that you Daren Xia Mingming is very rich, why do you still have to give an IOU?

Xia Jingxing seemed to see the doubts of the audience, and specifically explained: "Vision Capital and I are just two of Tesla's many shareholders, and it stands to reason that we only bear limited liability for Tesla within the scope of the subscribed shares.

Among them, because Vision Capital is a venture capital institution, it needs to be responsible for LPs and cannot undertake guarantee responsibilities.

Therefore, only I personally guarantee Tesla.

I have been investing in Tesla since three years ago and have witnessed the growth of this company.

It has gone step by step from a small workshop to today, turning electric sports cars into a possibility.

Just imagine how much carbon emissions can be reduced if electric vehicles can completely replace fuel vehicles?

Today, the global climate is getting warmer, glaciers and permafrost are melting, sea levels are rising, smog is covering cities, forest fires and floods are constantly breaking out...

Tesla was born with a mission. It is not only an electric car company, but also an environmental protection company. It has a greater ideal to realize, and it cannot fall in the darkness before dawn.

I have had in-depth conversations with Tesla’s management, and I understand their thinking and their pessimism about the deteriorating natural environment. I want to help them, so I am willing to take some responsibilities that should not have been borne by me.

If Tesla falls down unfortunately, I will pay back the money they owe you.

This amount of money is not much, and it can be regarded as my contribution to environmental protection. As a rich man, I enjoy a better material life than ordinary people, so I should love and give back to this society. "

Xia Jingxing's speech skills became more and more advanced, and the audience saw his serious face and deep eyes through the big screen on the stage.

This is a responsible rich man! A humane and responsible enterprise!

"Clatter~"

Some audience members in the audience started to applaud first, paying respect to Xia Jingxing.

In order not to appear special, Musk also applauded with the crowd.

He looked at Xia Jingxing resentfully, it was really annoying, he pretended it.

He didn't believe Xia Jingxing's deceitful lies. The other party refused to let him take over Tesla at the beginning, and now they have expelled the two founders of Tesla. It is obviously under the guise of environmental protection to fool users into agreeing to Tesla's arrears .

Looking at the scene where the people around him kept clapping and applauding, Musk seemed to realize that he could also set up a tall place for SpaceX, such as immigrating 100 million... well, 1 million people to Mars, preserving the fire of human civilization.

This is much cooler than the environmental protection slogan of Rotten Street!

Compared with myself, Darren, who founded Facebook, made mobile phones, and built electric cars, is a low-level man who runs on the ground.

Musk feels that he has realized, how to fool partners and investors without shouting louder slogans.

How did Xia Jingxing know that he had provoked Musk again, he stood on the stage and said: "In addition, Tesla plans to pay everyone a sum of interest for the $10,000 owed.

When the Fuxing mobile phone is officially released in June next year, Tesla will purchase a batch of Fuxing mobile phones and give them to Roadster users, so that everyone will become the first batch of people who drive electric cars and use smartphones. "

Someone in the audience nodded. Although a mobile phone worth hundreds of dollars is worthless, it is more or less a wish. In this regard, Tesla's attitude is very correct.

Xia Jingxing maintained a smile on his face, thinking quickly about the solution to the aftermath of the Roadster's price increase.

In fact, with his financial resources, he can completely accept the plan of selling at a loss of 100,000 US dollars, and the loss plus one is less than 50 million US dollars.

But other shareholders have opinions.

Therefore, after compromising the opinions of all parties, we came up with a plan to increase the price by 10,000 US dollars, and then compensate customers one after another.

This plan is not particularly good, but Tesla has not broken its trust with users and has maintained its brand reputation.

With the further development of Tesla, shareholders believe that the company's financial situation will continue to improve, and the amortization of "IOUs" of more than 20 million US dollars will not cause too much financial pressure on the company in the next few years of business activities.

In addition, Tesla will continue to honor the IOUs it has made today in the future, which can become a kind of promotional material and gain a good reputation.

Tesla, you must pay your debts! This is not just shouting slogans, it has been included in the direction of brand promotion in the next stage.

This reveals or transmits to users a kind of strong and unyielding brand spirit.

Paying attention to users, respecting users, and not dishonoring users is the imprint laid down from the delivery of the first batch of cars, which has become a kind of corporate culture and corporate image.

Whether it is external or internal, this is a good story.

Even though some users may choose to unsubscribe, Xia Jingxing believes that more will stay. Tesla has shown its utmost sincerity and has itself as a super rich as a guarantee. In addition, users have been waiting for this car for a year It's been almost two years, and not many users are willing to give up.

Even if Tesla does not come up with a compensation plan, it is estimated that many people will not unsubscribe, but it is not good to say it, and it will always be a credit stain.