Tesla stock has been on a tumultuous rise and fall. It has just closed out its worst month, quarter, and year on record. It has surpassed Meta as the weakest performing stock in 2022 among the most valuable tech companies. The situation has gotten so dismal that CEO Elon Musk has reappeared at Tesla after seemingly vanishing into the deep and winding halls of Twitter. As part of an end-of-the-year Thank You email to Tesla employees, Musk tried to assuage employee concerns. “Don’t be too bothered by stock market craziness,” he soothed. “As we demonstrate continued excellent performance, the market will recognize that.”

Always mercurial, often brilliant, and frequently immersed in minutia, Musk the human has also gone through a bit of madness this year. Has he finally seen the light of his actions and their direct correlation to the Tesla “market craziness?” Has 2022 been an aberration for the all-electric car company, like so many legacy automakers, due to geopolitical supply chain issues and inflationary pressures? Or is “the real difference” to Musk that his legacy is on the line, that he as a visionary may be contributing to a shortfall where Tesla’s promise to be constantly innovating and ahead of the automotive pack may be evaporating?

Here’s the text of the email Musk sent to Tesla employees on Wednesday.

From: Elon Musk

To: Everybody

Subj. Final Few Days

Date: Dec. 28, 2022 [Time Stamp removed]

Just a quick note to thank you for your hard…