ELON CHRON: Your 24hr Musk Companies Update (Patreon)

6th of May, 2025

"Mars is life insurance collectively... all life on earth will be destroyed by the sun... at some point we need to be a multi-planet civilization because Earth will be incinerated..." - Elon Musk (@elonmusk)

■ TESLA $TSLA ($275.35, -1.75%):

- Pearl White Tesla Model Y pics posted by China VP Grace Tao-Lin.

- Morgan Stanley has identified Tesla as the U.S.'s strongest candidate to challenge China's growing dominance in autonomous technology, citing the company's leadership across AI, robotics, and manufacturing. Analysts led by Adam Jonas warned that without Tesla, the U.S. may struggle to close the competitive gap.

- Per Tesla's Weibo account, the company's Chinese built Model 3 and Y sources over 95% of parts from China, with key suppliers including CATL for batteries, Huayu Automotive for body components, and various Chinese firms for electronics and interior parts. This enables cost efficiency and rapid production scaling at Giga Shanghai.

- Per Tesla China VP Grace Tao Lin, "Domestic Chinese consumers can buy Model 3/Y at the lowest price in the world, thanks to "Smart Manufacturing in China" at Giga Shanghai. We are proud to work with more than 400 supply chain partners in China to pursue the best quality, highest efficiency and optimal cost. We create the best products for millions of users in China, Asia Pacific and Europe. We are also honored that we have introduced more than 60 suppliers into Tesla's global procurement system."

- The new West Austin Gallery and Service Center held it's grand opening yesterday. Per Tesla Service Manager, Brandon Arpin, "Thank you to all for the support and turnout. Amazing facility, amazing people, amazing future. Let’s see what this place can do!"

- Tesla's April sales in the UK dropped by -62% YoY, selling only 536 vehicles. The new Model Y (non-launch series) deliveries are expected to start in June.

- In April, Tesla sold 885 vehicles in Germany. That is -42% YoY.

- Yesterday, Tesla officially opened the new Collision Center in San Rafael. This site has a unique history. Tesla took over the building in 2015, and it became one of the first service centers in Northern California. Over the years, it’s served a few different purposes. Now begins its next chapter as the first dedicated Tesla Collision Center serving the North Bay.

- Tesla is hosting a Customer Appreciation Day at Tesla Surrey Center in British Columbia, Canada. It is this Saturday, the 10th of May from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. You can test drive the S3XY lineup plus Cybertruck. You must RSVP. Link in sources section.

■ SPACEX:

- The Flight 9 navigational hazard warning, HYDROPAC 1128/25, has been canceled and the Local Notice to Mariners has been changed to the 19th - 20th of May. So, Flight 9 is NET May 19th. Pic by Carlos (@cnunezimages).

- Starship 35 is expected to roll back to Masseys this week for another Static Fire test. Thankfully, it appears that the flame trench was unscathed during the last test.

- Per Zack Golden (@CSI_Starbase) the 4 installed hold down arms on Pad B's launch mount may be used to attach rigging for lifting the launch mount into position. Pic by RGV Aerial Photography (@rgvaerialphotos). Follow/Subscribe to both Zack and RGV for great insights into Starbase and Ship.

- The final Environmental Assessments to increase SpaceX launch cadence of Starship at Starbase have been released. SpaceX has been approved for 25 launches with the options to land in Gulf of America, Indian Ocean, and Pacific Ocean (around Hawaii and Southeast Pacific). Pad B and the Upgraded Starship have also been approved. Links to the final assessments are in the sources section.

- A total of 7 out of the 9 LOX pumps have now been installed. 8 and 9 are yet to be seen at Starbase.

- Italian space logistics company D-Orbit signed an agreement with SpaceX for 16 additional ports on upcoming Transporter rideshare missions. They will continue to use Falcon 9 to enhance their "last-mile delivery" service to space. This service starts at $325k for 50kg and places stats into precise Sun-Synchronous Orbit (SSO). This flight cadence usually sits at every four months.

- In 2024, SpaceX generated $11.8 billion in revenue with Starlink, surpassing its space transportation division for the first time. Starlink’s growth was driven by expansion in consumer broadband, government, maritime, and aviation markets. Very significant considering the transportation business relied on Falcon 9’s reusability, with only 6% of all 2024 flights using new boosters. Some Flacons flew up to 24 times in that year.

Countdown to 180 (52 - Falcon 9, 0 - Falcon Heavy, and 2 - Starship):

• Launch 55! Tuesday, 6th of May, at 9:17 p.m. ET, Falcon 9 Starlink 6-93 will launch from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. The booster will land on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean.

• Launch 567! Friday, 9th of May, at 5:01 p.m. PT, Falcon 9 Starlink 15-3 will launch from Space Launch Complex 4E (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. The booster will land on drone ship Of Course I Still Love You in the Pacific Ocean.

• Launch 57! Saturday, 10th of May, at 2:28 a.m. ET, Falcon 9 Starlink 6-91 will launch from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. The booster will land on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean.

■ THE BORING COMPANY: N/A... boring.

■ NEURALINK:

- Ryan Tanaka (@RyanTanaka3) has posted the first interview with Neuralink patient Brad Smith (@ALScyborg). This great interview. Ryan asked great questions and Brad did not hold back. I highly recommend everyone watch it. Per Brad, "Ryan is how I found out that Neuralink was working with the same hospital as my ALS clinic! I still remember that day! He is also a really nice guy."

■ STARLINK:

- In 2024, SpaceX generated $11.8 billion in revenue with Starlink, surpassing its space transportation division for the first time. Starlink’s growth was driven by the expansion in consumer broadband, government, maritime, and aviation markets. This is very significant considering the transportation business relies on Falcon 9’s reusability, with only 6% of all 2024 flights having to use new boosters.

- Orca AI, a London-based company founded in 2018 by Yarden Gross and Dor Raviv, raised $72.5 million in Series B funding led by Brighton Park Capital to advance its AI-powered autonomous shipping platform, bringing its total funding to over $111 million. The platform uses Starlink marine and a visual dataset covering 80 million nautical miles, enhances ship navigation, reduces collisions, and saves an average of $100,000 in fuel per vessel annually. This creates a 54% reduction in close encounters. Starlink enables real-time data transmission for route mapping, traffic monitoring, and critical information sharing. The company has secured defense contracts, including one for a navy ship, and collaborates with major shipping firms like MSC and Maersk.

- Rodrigo Urra Hinojosa, head of Risk Prevention and Occupational Health at Teratel y Cía. Ltda., oversees telecommunications projects in remote areas lacking cellular coverage, where Starlink satellite antennas provide high-speed internet and enable field workers' connectivity, mobile phone site operations, and access to medical technicians. Workers, exposed to risks like falls, electrical hazards, and challenging 4x4 driving, are trained in first aid, evacuation protocols, emergency equipment use, and setting up Starlink.

■ X:

- X Original series, Going Public Season 3, premiered this morning. It introduces an interactive format where viewers can invest in real-time in startups like Nutcase, a cashew-based beverage company led by poker-playing entrepreneur Joelle Weinand. Nutcase targets health-conscious consumers and is backed by celebrities like Tyler "Ninja" Blevins and Steve Aoki. The season also features venture capitalist Cyan Banister, known for early investments in Uber and SpaceX, going undercover as a blogger to evaluate Nutcase. He highlights a due diligence approach and the growing trend of democratizing investment through media platforms.

■ xAI:

- This is xAI's 2nd data center in the Whitehaven area near Memphis, Tennessee. The building on the far left will be the 2nd Colossus while the area that has been completely cleared and undergoing ground leveling will hold one of, if not the, largest Tesla Megapack sites in the world. Keep in mind that this pic is from the 18th of March so much more has already taken place. This data center could use enough electricity to power 40% of Memphis. Memphis Light Gas and Water (MLGW) said that it has discussed xAI using up to 1.1 gigawatts of power at this Tulane Rd data center. MLGW said they still need to conduct a formal study. Pic is by Patrick Lantrip of the The Daily Memphian.

- Meanwhile, Colossus OG has 256 Tesla Megapacks onsite.

- Today, xAI, Palantir Technologies, and TWG Global announced a collaboration to integrate into financial services. They commit to remaking how financial service providers of all sizes can successfully adopt AI and scale the technology across the entire enterprise to drive long-term market competitiveness and unlock unprecedented value creation. They plan to combine TWG's operational expertise with Palantir and possibly Grok to enhance enterprise AI adoption, drive market competitiveness, and deliver outcome-based solutions for financial providers.

Per Alex Karp, co-founder and chief executive officer of Palantir Technologies, "Palantir is proud to partner with xAI and TWG Global to revolutionize AI adoption in the financial services industry. Some of the West's most critical institutions are spending too much time navigating cobbled-together systems and not enough time leveraging the transformative power of AI to unlock enormous growth. Placing AI at the core of operations empowers these companies to drive faster, more meaningful outcomes for customers and—consequently—generate far greater value for society."

Per Thomas Tull, Co-Chairman of TWG Global, "Our partnership is designed to deliver an AI solution that integrates into an organization's workflow and data streams, providing contextual intelligence that drives measurable business impact that is reflected in a company’s P&L. We believe the future of financial services lies in the hands of employees armed with the right AI technology. By combining TWG Global's operational expertise with Palantir and xAI's world-class platform and reasoning intelligence, we’re driving a ground swell of productivity and efficiency while transforming complex, bloated, legacy processes that have limited business agility in the past. The result is a turbocharged workforce that is a game changer for businesses and consumers, establishing new benchmarks for speed and efficiency."

■ DOGE:

Estimated Savings: $165 Billion

Amount Saved Per Taxpayer: $1,024.84

- The Internal Revenue Service's auditing staff has dropped by 31% (roughly 3,600 revenue agents) via DOGE buyouts and layoffs.

- DOGE announced that in the last two days, agencies terminated 148 contracts with a ceiling value of $420 million and savings of $198 million. This included $143K HHS contract for the “potency monitoring of confiscated marijuana samples.”

■ ELON NEWS: N/A...

■ SUBSCRIBERS:

For May, I am giving away the new official SpaceX Insulated Stainless Steel Starlink Bottle ($40)! Like always, one random subscriber's name will be drawn at the end of the month. Good luck!

Check out my linktree for all my other socials: https://linktr.ee/serobinsonjr

REFERRALS:

• Tesla: 3 free months of FSD or $400 Off Solar Panel Installation. ts.la/stephen746292

• SOFI (ARK Venture Fund): $25 worth of stock. SOFI is the only outlet the public can invest in Cathie Wood's ARK Venture Fund ($ARKVX). This ARK fund includes SpaceX, xAI, Tesla, X, and a ton of other major AI, Tech, and Bio companies. Of note, investing in the fund requires an initial $500. https://www.sofi.com/invite/invest?gcp=ecf25d1c-7bc9-4ee0-a407-a51849297288&isAliasGcp=false

• T-Mobile (Starlink Direct-to-Cell): $50 credit 45 days after you activate. Direct-to-Cell has dropped from $20 to $10 per month! https://share.t-mobile.com/stephenr-3419

• Robinhood: Get a Free stock. https://join.robinhood.com/stepher-fcc938

Have a great day!

■ SOURCES:

Tesla:

• https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/teslas-uk-sales-lowest-over-two-years-april-europe-snubs-musk-2025-05-06/

• https://www.tesla.com/en_ca/event/customer-appreciation-day-at-tesla-surrey

SpaceX:

• https://faa.gov/media/94346

• https://faa.gov/media/94341

• https://faa.gov/media/94336

• https://www.dorbit.space/media/6/11.pdf

Elon News:

• Elon Quote from Jesse Waters interview.