My companies are suffering because I’m in the government. Do you think it helps sales if, you know, dealerships are being fire bombed? Of course, not.”

Investors handicap risk all the time, and Elon Musk presents what they call “key-man risk.” Normally, what investors mean by this term is that an individual, often a CEO or founder, is so vital to the successful operation of the business that to lose him or her would be a severe loss.