Ron Baron and Tesla: What's the Endgame?

Alright, let's get one thing straight: Ron Baron's got a serious case of Tesla fever. I mean, 40% of his personal net worth? In one company? That ain't investing; that's a freakin' religion.

The Baron of Bull

This guy is out there telling CNBC that Tesla could be a $10,000 stock within a decade. $10,000! Last time I checked, my beat-up Honda Civic ain't worth that much. And he's basing this wild prediction on...what, exactly? Elon Musk's shareholder presentation? Please. According to Billionaire Investor Ron Baron Says Tesla Could Become a $10,000 Stock, Baron believes this is possible.

He's drinking the Kool-Aid, folks. Baron claims Tesla employees expect five- to seven-fold gains. Seriously? Are these "employees" actual financial analysts, or just wide-eyed fanboys who think Elon walks on water? I'm betting on the latter.

And this Optimus robot thing? Baron's practically drooling over Musk's vision of a billion robots a year. A BILLION. Has anyone stopped to consider the potential dystopian nightmare fuel that is a billion humanoid robots roaming the earth? I mean, have we learned nothing from science fiction?

Hubris and Hyperbole

Baron's been holding TSLA stock for over a decade, and he's already made $8 billion. Good for him. But past performance is no guarantee of future results. Basic investing 101, people. He even bragged about refusing to sell his personal shares when his firm sold 30% due to client pressure. "I did not sell personally a single share," he boasts. Talk about a conflict of interest.

Oh, and get this: 25% of his wealth is in SpaceX. So, essentially, this guy's entire fortune is riding on the whims of one man. One very eccentric, sometimes erratic, man. Is that genius, or just reckless? I'm leaning towards reckless.

Speaking of promises, he told his board he'd be the last one out of the stock. What happens if Tesla pulls an Enron? Does he go down with the ship, yelling "Full speed ahead!" while the iceberg looms large?

I swear, these billionaire investors live in a different reality than the rest of us. They can afford to make these kinds of crazy bets. We can't.

Reality Check

Wall Street analysts, bless their cynical hearts, have a consensus "Hold" rating on TSLA. A "Hold"! That's analyst-speak for "We have no freakin' clue what's going to happen, but we don't want to upset the Tesla faithful." The average price target actually implies downside from current levels.

And let's be real, Tesla's not exactly firing on all cylinders right now. The stock's up a measly 1% this year. One percent! My savings account is doing better than that, and I offcourse ain't exactly a financial wizard.

Then again, maybe I'm the crazy one here. Maybe Ron Baron is a visionary, and I'm just too jaded to see it. Maybe robots will save the world, and Tesla will be worth $10,000 a share. But forgive me if I don't hold my breath.

Is He Even Listening to Himself?