Cathie Wood Bets $11.4 Million That Tesla’s AI Pivot Will Rescue Its Margins
AS
Atlas St. James
Cathie Wood · Apr 9, 2026
Source: DojiDoji Data Terminal
Cathie Wood’s ARK Invest poured $11.4 million into Tesla on April 8, 2025, buying 33,210 shares through the ARK Autonomous Technology & Robotics ETF. The purchase came as Tesla’s stock slumped 23.7% year-to-date on weakening EV demand, missed Q1 2026 delivery estimates, and uncertainty around Elon Musk’s leadership focus. Wood doubled down anyway. So far that week, she had acquired $27.8 million in Tesla stock.
Her bet hinges on a transformation: that Tesla will shift from an automaker with shrinking margins to a software-driven AI and autonomy platform. She expects that pivot to push gross margins into the 70%-80% range, levels typical of dominant tech firms. That revaluation, she believes, will propel Tesla to a trillion-dollar market cap.
The foundation of that vision is Terafab, Tesla’s planned chip fabrication plant in Austin, Texas, targeting 1 terawatt of annual computing capacity. To speed development, Intel has joined the project, bringing design, fabrication, and packaging expertise. SpaceX, xAI, and Tesla are also involved. The collaboration could shorten development timelines by years.
To help finance the Tesla增持, ARKQ sold 33,812 shares of Teradyne for $12.11 million, locking in gains after Goldman Sachs named the semiconductor stock a top pick.
Cathie Wood
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