“No,” Musk said. “No. NO.” There was a long pause.
“No mirrors, no pedals, no steering wheel. This is me taking responsibility for this decision.”...
“Let me be clear," he said slowly. “This vehicle must be designed as a clean Robotaxi. We’re going to take that risk. It’s my fault if it fucks up. ...”
@elonmusk , 2022 — from @WalterIsaacson biography.
Four years later, that bet looks like it paid off.
BREAKING: Starlink is now officially live on Austrian Airlines. 🇦🇹
CEO Annette Mann boarded the aircraft to mark Austrian Airlines’ first Starlink-enabled flight from Vienna to Porto today.
Tesla Model Y has become one of the most dominant cars on Earth
It finished as the world’s #1 best-selling passenger vehicle for three straight years:
2023 — #1
2024 — #1
2025 — #1
And more than 4 million Model Ys have now been sold globally
4 million of one fully electric vehicle
It went head-to-head with every gas car, hybrid and EV on the planet.....and stayed at the very top of global auto sales
And now in 2026, Model Y is #1 again through July, with sales up nearly 20% YoY
Model Y is now going for FOUR straight years at the top
Most people don’t realize how insanely autonomous Falcon 9 already is
Once Falcon 9 lifts off, almost the entire mission is executed by the rocket itself
And the crazy part is
This autonomy does not depend on generative AI
It comes from brutally refined flight software, physics, sensors, control theory and advanced optimization.....improved across hundreds of missions
Falcon 9 autonomously handles:
→ Liftoff and ascent through closed-loop guidance
→ Stage separation at precisely calculated conditions
→ Engine ignition and shutdown sequences
→ Orbital insertion and payload deployment
→ Booster boostback, entry and landing burns
→ Real-time guidance corrections during descent
→ Landing on a floating droneship hundreds of kilometers offshore
→ Autonomous flight termination if mission safety rules are violated
A 70-meter orbital rocket launches itself, separates itself, puts a payload into orbit.....then the first stage falls back through the atmosphere and lands itself on a floating platform hundreds of kilometers offshore
Physics, software, and hardware engineered to absurd precision
Falcon 9 is one of the greatest autonomous machines humanity has ever built
And SpaceX made it look routine