With Tesla Model Y Party, Elon Musk Goes Where He’s Comfortable: The Spotlight
The unveiling of Tesla’s new crossover puts the CEO back on stage, in front of eager fans.
Elon Musk needs a win, so he’s taking a page out of a tried-and-true playbook: throwing a party for a product that won’t be available for months before an audience of adoring fans.
The Thursday evening unveiling of the Model Y crossover follows a major flop. Tesla Inc.’s attempt to make a splash with the long-awaited arrival of a $35,000 version of its Model 3 sedan was overshadowed by Musk warning a loss is likely in the first quarter, and by his blindsiding decision to close almost all of the company’s stores. Ten days later, the chief executive officer backtracked. And all the while, Musk was again battling with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission over his use of Twitter.