Tesla cofounder and Redwood Materials CEO JB Straubel recently praised Elon Musk’s work ethic and focus, claiming it has been key to his success. Straubel said Tesla taught him the value of aggressive goals and intense work, noting that society underperforms its potential. Straubel noted the US lags behind nations like China in work ethic and EV adoption. Join us in this slideshow as we explore Straubel’s remarks.
Tesla entered the saturated U.S. car market in 2003, founded by engineers Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning. It aimed to produce powerful, zero-emission electric cars.
Musk, an early investor, became CEO in 2008, launching Tesla’s first car, the Roadster. Tesla now produces models like the Model S, Model 3, Model X, and Model Y.
Tesla has expanded globally with factories in the U.S., China, and Germany, and a vast Supercharger network. Tesla’s market cap is greater than $1 trillion as of December 2024.
Straubel said, “I learned a huge amount from Elon Musk — and we could all benefit from the billionaire’s work ethic,” adding, “He has an incredible tolerance for working incredibly hard and for putting in immense focus and hours into all these different projects.”
Redwood Materials, founded in 2017, recycles battery materials to support EV sustainability, producing enough for 250,000 EVs and aiming for 1 million annually.
Straubel stated, “I learned incredibly important lessons at Tesla, including the value of aligning a team around a clear mission and instilling passion within a company.”
Straubel added, “With my personal hat on, I do want to make sure he tries to balance that and doesn’t burn himself out and takes at least a moment out here and there so that he can stay at a peak productivity and peak value creation for himself and all the various companies.”
Straubel believes Musk’s intensity may inspire others to push harder. “Maybe Elon is beyond the optimum at times, but I think it could be probably a positive example to really crank up the intensity for a lot of other folks,” he said.
Straubel said, “Most leaders and business folks could probably work harder than they do without burning out, and humanity is probably underperforming a little bit versus its potential.”
Straubel added, “In my travels and working with groups in different countries, I can definitely see a difference in the level of intensity and work ethic and just the hunger to go and improve themselves and improve their families and improve their next generation’s law in life.”