Tesla’s Delayed Roadster: People Who Paid to Reserve It Would Have Made Bank Investing in Stock Instead
Reported by Business Insider · October 15, 2026
Roadster unveiling comes again
Tesla CEO Elon Musk is preparing to unveil the second-generation Roadster on Thursday night, roughly nine years after its initial reveal. The car has yet to enter production.
The upcoming presentation may feature cold-gas thrusters that could let the vehicle hover temporarily. The possibility adds a new detail to a long-running wait for deliveries.
Stock offered a different return
At roughly $360 in mid-October 2026, a $50,000 investment from 2017 would be worth between $850,000 and $900,000. That amounts to a gain of more than $800,000 before taxes and trading fees.
Some reservation holders canceled
The long wait has prompted some prominent shoppers to give up their reservations. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, whose relationship with Musk has been described as fraught, publicly canceled his reservation in 2025.
Key points
- The second-generation Roadster still has not entered production, roughly nine years after its reveal.
- Tesla shares closed at about $21 on November 17, 2017, and stood at roughly $360 in mid-October 2026.
- A $50,000 investment in Tesla stock in 2017 would have been worth $850,000 to $900,000 before taxes and fees.
- Sam Altman and Marques Brownlee have canceled Roadster reservations.