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- All HBS Web
(160)
- People (1)
- News (40)
- Research (91)
- Multimedia (9)
- Faculty Publications (68)
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- June 6, 2019
- Article
Tesla's Advantage? 'It's the Software, Stupid.'
By: Lou Shipley
Without question, entrepreneur, innovator and engineer Elon Musk is a controversial figure, but there is no disputing that his first-to-market Tesla electric vehicles are not only revolutionizing the high-end driving experience, but also disrupting the automobile... View Details
Keywords: Tesla; Elon Musk; Autonomous Vehicle; Transportation; Software; Technology; Disruption; Auto Industry
Shipley, Lou. "Tesla's Advantage? 'It's the Software, Stupid.'." The Hill (June 6, 2019).
- November 2016 (Revised September 2018)
- Case
Elon Musk's Big Bets
By: David B. Yoffie, Eric Baldwin and Brandon Kaufmann
Between late 2014 and late 2016, Tesla CEO Elon Musk undertook several major, and risky, initiatives that would dramatically expand the scale and scope of Tesla’s business. In late 2014, Tesla began construction on a $5 billion “gigafactory” that would manufacture... View Details
Keywords: Electric Vehicles; Batteries; Solar Power; Strategy; Execution; Technology; Space Flight; Tesla; SolarCity; SpaceX; Elon Musk; Information Technology; Risk and Uncertainty; Expansion; Renewable Energy; Investment; Manufacturing Industry; Green Technology Industry; Auto Industry; Aerospace Industry; Battery Industry
Yoffie, David B., Eric Baldwin, and Brandon Kaufmann. "Elon Musk's Big Bets." Harvard Business School Case 717-431, November 2016. (Revised September 2018.)
- Editorial
Elon Musk's Unusual Compensation Plan Isn't Really About Compensation at All
By: George Serafeim
Earlier this year, Tesla shareholders approved likely the largest compensation package ever awarded to a CEO—for a CEO who clearly doesn’t need the money. Elon Musk is already incredibly rich and also doesn’t seem particularly motivated by further wealth. So why do it?... View Details
Keywords: Tesla; Elon Musk; Innovation; Investor Communication; Investor Relations; Short-termism; Long-termism; Disruption; Executive Compensation; Business and Shareholder Relations; Communication Intention and Meaning; Mission and Purpose
Serafeim, George. "Elon Musk's Unusual Compensation Plan Isn't Really About Compensation at All." Harvard Business Review (website) (May 1, 2018).
- May 2019
- Case
Elon Musk's Big Bets Update, 2019
By: David B. Yoffie and Daniel Fisher
This short case provides an update to Elon Musk's strategy and tactical moves with Tesla, Solar City, and SpaceX from 2016-2019. View Details
Keywords: Electric Vehicles; Batteries; Solar Power; Execution; Space Flight; Tesla; SolarCity; SpaceX; Elon Musk; Information Technology; Risk and Uncertainty; Expansion; Renewable Energy; Strategy; Investment; Manufacturing Industry; Green Technology Industry; Auto Industry; Aerospace Industry; Battery Industry
Yoffie, David B., and Daniel Fisher. "Elon Musk's Big Bets Update, 2019." Harvard Business School Case 719-512, May 2019.
- November 2018 (Revised January 2020)
- Case
Tesla, Inc. in 2018
By: Siko Sikochi, Suraj Srinivasan and Quinn Pitcher
On August 7, 2018 Elon Musk, Chairman and CEO of Tesla tweeted that he was considering taking Tesla private and had secured funding. Weeks went by without details about a deal and speculation grew that Musk had misled investors. He soon abandoned the idea, but the... View Details
Keywords: Disclosure Regulation; Board Independence; Corporate Governance; Business and Shareholder Relations; Governing and Advisory Boards
Sikochi, Siko, Suraj Srinivasan, and Quinn Pitcher. "Tesla, Inc. in 2018." Harvard Business School Case 119-013, November 2018. (Revised January 2020.)
- 01 Feb 2022
- Book
Innovation Isn’t Just for Startups: How Big Companies Can Succeed
What if more managers at big corporations channeled some of the same magic that helped Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos lead their startups to great success? Large companies are actually fertile ground for innovation;... View Details
Keywords: by Lane Lambert
- May 2023
- Teaching Note
Tesla’s Uncertain Fate as EV Race Accelerates
By: David Collis
Teaching Note for HBS Case No. 722-368. The case describes the strategic position of Tesla in 2021. While the firm has been successful in driving adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) globally and has a huge market share in the segment, it faces an impending tsunami of... View Details
- August 2023
- Case
BYD, China, and Global Electric Vehicle Rivalry
By: Cynthia A. Montgomery and Max Hancock
In 2023, BYD, a Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker, surpassed Tesla to become the world's best-selling EV brand. BYD began selling mobile phone batteries in 1995, acquired a license to sell vehicles in 2002, and spent two decades building its EV brand, growing its... View Details
- March 2022 (Revised November 2023)
- Case
Doubling Down: Elon Musk's Big Bets in 2022
By: David Yoffie and Daniel Fisher
2021 was a banner year for Elon Musk. CEO of the electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla, the aerospace manufacturer SpaceX, and a few smaller startups, Musk became the richest person on Earth after Tesla reached a market capitalization of $1 trillion and SpaceX a private... View Details
Keywords: Innovation and Management; Competitive Advantage; Competitive Strategy; Information Infrastructure; Applications and Software; Transportation; Strategic Planning; Leadership Style; Leading Change; Goals and Objectives; Aerospace Industry; Auto Industry; Battery Industry; United States; Europe; China
Yoffie, David, and Daniel Fisher. "Doubling Down: Elon Musk's Big Bets in 2022." Harvard Business School Case 722-439, March 2022. (Revised November 2023.)
- September 2021 (Revised October 2021)
- Case
Tesla's Uncertain Fate as EV Race Accelerates
By: David Collis and Haisley Wert
By September 2021, Tesla had a staggering market cap of $755 billion. As the leader of the automobile industry, Tesla’s worth surpassed that of the six largest runner-ups combined, including Toyota, Volkswagen, BYD, Daimler, Great Wall Motors, and General Motors. As... View Details
Keywords: Electric Vehicles; Strategy; Corporate Strategy; Valuation; Competitive Advantage; Value Creation; Auto Industry
Collis, David, and Haisley Wert. "Tesla's Uncertain Fate as EV Race Accelerates." Harvard Business School Case 722-368, September 2021. (Revised October 2021.)
- October 2016
- Case
Elon Musk: Balancing Purpose and Risk
By: Shikhar Ghosh and Sarah Mehta
The case is used to illustrate the place of ‘Purpose’ versus financial risk and returns in a founder’s objectives. It also addresses personal risk profile of different founders, and when paired with the Risk Tolerance Exercise, it enables evaluating one’s own appetite... View Details
Keywords: Electric Vehicle; Solar Power; Vision; Trade-offs; Leadership; Mission and Purpose; Risk and Uncertainty; Entrepreneurship; Failure; United States; North America
Ghosh, Shikhar, and Sarah Mehta. "Elon Musk: Balancing Purpose and Risk." Harvard Business School Case 817-040, October 2016.
- November 2019 (Revised April 2021)
- Technical Note
Rechargeable Batteries, 2017: Gigafactory Wars in the Offing?
By: John R. Wells and Benjamin Weinstock
In 2017, the global market for rechargeable lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries was 126 gigawatt-hours (GWh) valued at $37 billion, growing by $10 billion in two years. Once confined largely to consumer electronics and appliances, the rapid increase in demand was spurred by... View Details
Keywords: Batteries; Rechargeable Batteries; Lithium-ion; Lithium-ion Batteries; Electric Vehicle; Electric Vehicles; Energy Entrepreneurship; Energy Markets; Energy Storage; Battery; Demand Uncertainty; Demand Forecasting; Supply & Demand; Supply And Demand; Capacity Planning; Tesla; Technological And Scientific Innovation; Technological Change; Technology Change; Technology Commercialization; Policy Change; Subsidies; Power/Energy; Power Grid; Energy Policy; Developing Markets; Alevo; Samsung; LG Chem; CATL; Northvolt; General Motors; Energy; Entrepreneurship; Technological Innovation; Commercialization; Policy; Demand and Consumers; Forecasting and Prediction; Supply and Industry; Emerging Markets; Competitive Strategy; China
Wells, John R., and Benjamin Weinstock. "Rechargeable Batteries, 2017: Gigafactory Wars in the Offing?" Harvard Business School Technical Note 720-371, November 2019. (Revised April 2021.)
- 2022
- Case
Tesla's Battery Supply Chain: A Growing Concern
By: Andrew J. Hoffman
In October 2021, the fictional vice president of supply chain sustainability at Tesla is working on finding the best way to achieve Tesla's goal of 100% recycling for the batteries in its electric vehicles (EVs) as they reach their end of life. A major challenge in... View Details
Keywords: Supply Chain Management; Environmental Sustainability; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Governance Compliance; Metals and Minerals; Auto Industry
Hoffman, Andrew J. "Tesla's Battery Supply Chain: A Growing Concern." William Davidson Institute Case 9-884-554, 2022.
- December 2017 (Revised June 2021)
- Case
Tesla's Bid for SolarCity
By: Charles C.Y. Wang and Raaj Zutshi
In October 2016, Tesla asked its shareholders to ratify their $2.4 billion bid for SolarCity. Tesla had announced a series of large projects in the preceding months including the unveiling of the Model 3, the new Solar Roof, and pushing forward the opening of the... View Details
Wang, Charles C.Y., and Raaj Zutshi. "Tesla's Bid for SolarCity (A)." Harvard Business School Case 118-044, December 2017. (Revised June 2021.)
- March 2019 (Revised July 2021)
- Case
Waymo LLC
By: John R. Wells and Benjamin Weinstock
On December 5, 2018, Waymo LLC, a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., launched the United States’ first commercial driverless-car ride-hailing service (Waymo One), based in Phoenix, Arizona. As with other ride-hailing services such as Uber and Lyft, Waymo One riders... View Details
Keywords: Vehicle; Automation; Automobiles; Automotive; Driverless Car; Automotive Industry; Autonomy; Google; Self-driving Cars; Technological And Scientific Innovation; Technological Change; Technology Change; Ride-sharing; Uber; Lyft; General Motors; Innovation; Disruptive Technology; Disruptive Technologies; Tesla; Waymo; Operating Systems; Artificial Intelligence; Autonomous Vehicles; Transportation; Technological Innovation; Disruption; Commercialization; Growth and Development Strategy; Transportation Industry; Auto Industry
Wells, John R., and Benjamin Weinstock. "Waymo LLC." Harvard Business School Case 719-477, March 2019. (Revised July 2021.)
- June 2023 (Revised May 2024)
- Case
Optimalen Capital
A new client portfolio manager at a quantitative investment management firm must explain why her firm, Optimalen Capital, has rebalanced a client portfolio with a set of trades that seem unintuitive. In particular, Optimalen has added to its position of Walmart (ticker... View Details
Baker, Malcolm, Elisabeth Kempf, and Jonathan Wallen. "Optimalen Capital." Harvard Business School Case 223-099, June 2023. (Revised May 2024.)
- April 2018 (Revised June 2020)
- Case
Tesla's CEO Compensation Plan
By: Krishna G. Palepu and Sarah Mehta
Tesla’s board of directors proposed an unusual compensation plan for the company’s CEO Elon Musk. The plan payouts were entirely contingent on achieving very ambitious market value, sales, and EBIT targets over the next ten years. If all the targets were achieved,... View Details
Keywords: CEO Compensation; Compensation Committee; Corporate Governance; Executive Compensation; Governing and Advisory Boards; Business and Shareholder Relations; Auto Industry; United States
Palepu, Krishna G., and Sarah Mehta. "Tesla's CEO Compensation Plan." Harvard Business School Case 118-085, April 2018. (Revised June 2020.)
- February 2019 (Revised May 2021)
- Case
Electric Car Wars, 2018
By: John R. Wells and Benjamin Weinstock
Electric cars had long been championed by environmentalists as a superior solution to the internal combustion engine (ICE), but, despite large government incentives and strong pioneering efforts by a few automakers over the years, electric and hybrid cars and light... View Details
Keywords: Electric Vehicle; Electric Vehicles; Electricity; Electric Motors; Electric Power Generation; Electricity Usage; Electricity Distribution; Internal Combustion Vehicle; Auto Manufacturing; Automobile Manufacturing; Automotive Industry; Tesla; General Motors; History; Nissan; Innovation; Batteries; Battery; Subsidies; Government Initiatives; Government Incentives; Political Issues; Energy Generation; Production; Infrastructure; Innovation and Invention; Government Legislation; Global Range; Business History; Auto Industry; China
Wells, John R., and Benjamin Weinstock. "Electric Car Wars, 2018." Harvard Business School Case 719-470, February 2019. (Revised May 2021.)
- 19 Nov 2013
- First Look
First Look: November 19
Business School Case 714-413 Tesla Motors In mid-2013, Tesla Motors was riding a wave of success: it had launched its first really mass-produced car-the model S-to rave reviews; had recently raised... View Details
Keywords: Sean Silverthorne
- September 2017
- Case
Tencent
By: John R. Wells and Gabriel Ellsworth
Tencent had undergone many transformations since it was founded in 1998 as a simple messaging service. In 2017, it was the largest online games provider in China with a wide range of game types, China’s largest social networking service provider with several of the... View Details
Keywords: Tencent; Tencent Holdings; WeChat; Social Networking; Social Networks; Gaming; Gaming Industry; Video Games; Computer Games; Mobile Gaming; Portals; Payments; Mobile Payments; O2O; Online-to-offline; E-commerce; Messaging; Subscription Model; Freemium; Mobile App Industry; Smartphone; PC; Monetization Strategy; Antitrust; Streaming; Cloud Computing; Artificial Intelligence; Big Data; Alibaba; Facebook; JD.com; Tesla; Bundling; Synergies; Digital Strategy; Imitation; Licensing; Agility; Entry Barriers; Online Platforms; Advertising; Digital Marketing; Business Ventures; Acquisition; Mergers and Acquisitions; Business Conglomerates; Business Units; Business Growth and Maturation; Business Organization; For-Profit Firms; Joint Ventures; Restructuring; Communication; Communication Technology; Blogs; Interactive Communication; Interpersonal Communication; Entertainment; Film Entertainment; Games, Gaming, and Gambling; Music Entertainment; Investment; Investment Portfolio; Price; Profit; Revenue; Geographic Scope; Cross-Cultural and Cross-Border Issues; Global Strategy; Multinational Firms and Management; Globalized Markets and Industries; Business History; Innovation Strategy; Technological Innovation; Business or Company Management; Goals and Objectives; Growth and Development Strategy; Product Positioning; Social Marketing; Network Effects; Emerging Markets; Market Entry and Exit; Digital Platforms; Industry Growth; Monopoly; Media; Distribution Channels; Product Development; Service Delivery; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Organizational Structure; Public Ownership; Problems and Challenges; Business and Government Relations; Groups and Teams; Networks; Opportunities; Social and Collaborative Networks; Strategy; Adaptation; Business Strategy; Commercialization; Competition; Competitive Advantage; Competitive Strategy; Cooperation; Corporate Strategy; Diversification; Expansion; Horizontal Integration; Vertical Integration; Segmentation; Information Technology; Internet and the Web; Mobile and Wireless Technology; Internet and the Web; Applications and Software; Information Infrastructure; Digital Platforms; Internet and the Web; Mobile and Wireless Technology; Value Creation; Communications Industry; Entertainment and Recreation Industry; Financial Services Industry; Information Industry; Information Technology Industry; Media and Broadcasting Industry; Motion Pictures and Video Industry; Music Industry; Service Industry; Technology Industry; Telecommunications Industry; Video Game Industry; Web Services Industry; Asia; China; Canton (province, China)
Wells, John R., and Gabriel Ellsworth. "Tencent." Harvard Business School Case 718-426, September 2017.