#74 - Why I Bought Tesla Again

Back On The $TSLA Train

The first time I bought Tesla stock was before its original 5-to-1 split. I purchased 2 shares at around $1,000 each. Post split, my 20 shares totaled around $8,000, which I sold and rolled into a newly listed company called Palantir.

Looking back, those two trades in my Roth IRA set the stage for a wild investing journey. During COVID, I felt the electric vehicle hype train was peaking, so I shifted my focus to AI stocks. I haven’t been a Tesla shareholder since 2021, but I always suspected I would come back. This week, I re-entered a Tesla position not for EVs, but for what I believe are the company’s real long-term growth engines.

Tesla Energy Division

Most investors still see Tesla as a car company. I see it as a distributed energy giant in disguise. Megapacks are scaling rapidly, and with global demand for grid storage exploding, Tesla Energy could one day rival its auto division.

• From 2020 to 2024, Tesla Energy revenue grew 5x, from ~$2B to over $10B.

• Margins are expanding as production scales, making energy a far more profitable business than just a few years ago.

• As utilities and nations transition to renewables, energy storage becomes non-negotiable, and Tesla’s vertically integrated model gives it unmatched advantages.

Tesla Robotics Division - Optimus

Optimus is still in early development, but it reminds me of how skeptics dismissed the Model S until it redefined the industry.

• Tesla has factory scale and AI infrastructure that competitors lack, giving it an edge in humanoid robotics.

• Robotics will not just take jobs, they will help fill massive labor shortages we are facing in the coming decades.

• If Optimus succeeds even modestly, it could represent an entirely new market worth more than Tesla’s current auto business.

This isn't a bet on the next quarter. It’s a thesis for the next decade. Cars and robotaxis might drive the headlines today, but Tesla Energy and Optimus could drive the future returns for the company.

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Market & Freedom Fund Recap

The stock market hit fresh record highs this week, with the Dow topping 46,000 and tech names like Oracle $ORCL ( ▼ 2.7% ) soaring on AI momentum. At the same time, hotter inflation but weaker job growth fueled bets that the Fed will start cutting rates soon. SoFi Technologies $SOFI ( ▼ 0.5% ) hit a 52 week high and Palantir $PLTR ( ▼ 0.87% ) rose about the $160 to lead the way in the public account.

This week I made the decision to realize a 33.45% gain on Cheniere Energy $LNG ( ▲ 0.34% ) and shift my focus into re-entering into a long term Tesla $TSLA ( ▲ 4.02% ) position. I also added to my Chewy $CHWY ( ▲ 4.51% ) position as I felt the earnings sell-off this week was overblown.

Portfolio News:

• Chewy - Q2 2025 Earnings

  • Revenue grew 8.6% YoY to $3.1B driven by customer growth.

  • Autoship sales rose 14.9% YoY to $2.58B, now making up 83% of total revenue, showing strong customer retention.

  • Adjusted net income jumped 34.8% YoY to $141M, but GAAP net income fell sharply due to prior-year tax adjustments.

  • Gross margin expanded to 30.4%, and free cash flow grew 15.7% YoY, signaling improving operational efficiency.

Freedom Fund Background: I launched the Freedom Fund in October 2022 as a public brokerage account to show that anyone—with just a bank account and Social Security number—can start investing, even with a couple hundred dollars a week. I started from $0 to make the journey real and relatable. Each week, I share transparent updates on purchases, sales, dividends, and growth on X (@GrahamSchroeder) so you can follow along in real time. The hardest part of investing is getting started—so I did, publicly, to help others do the same.