“This is true. When we first bought Tesla in 2013 we thought Mercedes would just buy them out,” Gerber wrote on X. “This Mercedes mistake is as bad as the blockbuster Netflix error.”

His post quoted a Tesla Tracker account saying Daimler’s 2009 Tesla stake would now be worth $130 billion, or roughly a 2,600-fold return.

Reuters reported that Daimler sold its remaining 4% stake in Tesla in 2014, booking a $780 million windfall. The sale gave Daimler a large profit but left behind an even larger opportunity cost as Tesla later became one of the world’s most valuable automakers.

Tesla’s current market value is about $1.5 trillion, according to Benzinga Pro, meaning a 9% to 10% holding would be worth roughly $136 billion to $150 billion before accounting for dilution, structure or any earlier partial sales.

Gerber, notably, has made the comparison before. A May 2023 report reveals that he called Daimler’s decision “Worse than Blockbuster not buying Netflix early.”

Benzinga Edge Rankings show that Tesla stock scores well on the Growth and Quality metrics. It also offers a favorable price trend in the Short and Long Term.

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