Musk: Innovation is Creation, Not Just Disruption, Across Space, EVs, and Robotics

Washington D.C. – Speaking at the U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum on November 19, 2025, Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, Tesla, and xAI, articulated a philosophy of creation over disruption, emphasizing his companies' roles in pioneering new industries rather than merely altering existing ones. Musk highlighted the foundational innovations in reusable rocketry, electric vehicles, and the nascent field of useful humanoid robotics. His remarks came during a high-profile discussion on advances in artificial intelligence and technology, attended by global business leaders and government officials.

Musk asserted that his ventures are driven by the creation of entirely new capabilities. > "With SpaceX, with reusable rockets, there really weren't any reusable rockets. But the essence of revolutionizing space travel is reusability. If you throw the rocket away every time, the cost of access to space is extremely high," he stated. This approach has dramatically reduced the cost of space launches, making frequent missions and ambitious projects like Starlink viable.

Regarding electric vehicles, Musk reflected on Tesla's origins. > "With respect to electric cars, there weren't any electric cars when we started making them. You couldn't buy any to the best of my knowledge," he explained. Tesla's objective, he noted, was to make electric cars both compelling and affordable, fundamentally shifting the automotive industry's direction. The company has since become a dominant force in the global EV market.

Musk also cast a visionary outlook on the future of humanoid robotics, specifically referencing Tesla's Optimus project. > "With respect to humanoid robotics, there are no useful humanoid robotics robots at this point. There are sort of gimmicks, but there are no actually useful robots," he claimed. He expressed confidence that Tesla would develop the first truly useful humanoid robots, predicting this would be a "quite a revolution" and potentially the "biggest product ever," surpassing even cell phones in market size due to widespread demand and industrial applications.

The forum, held at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, underscored strengthening economic ties between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia, with a significant focus on technology and AI. Musk's xAI also announced a 500-megawatt project with Saudi Arabia and Nvidia, indicating a substantial investment in AI infrastructure. His comments reinforced a long-standing vision across his companies: to build technologies that redefine industries and create new possibilities rather than simply competing within existing paradigms.