Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff has expressed strong support for Tesla’s Optimus humanoid robot. On Wednesday, he tweeted a video, calling Optimus the “dawn of the physical Agentforce revolution” and a potential “productivity game changer” for businesses. This endorsement highlights Tesla’s robotics strategy and Elon Musk’s ambitions in the field.
Benioff’s tweet read: “Elon’s Tesla Optimus is here! Dawn of the physical Agentforce revolution, tackling human work for $200K–$500K. Productivity game changer!” He also added a personal note to X: “Congrats @elonmusk, and thank you for always being so kind to me!” The video accompanying the tweet showed Benioff interacting with a Tesla humanoid robot at their California facility.
The video provides a glimpse into Optimus’s current capabilities and limitations. In the video, Benioff asks Optimus, “Hey, Optimus. What are you doing there?” and the robot replies, “Just chilling, ready to help.” When Benioff asks for directions to find a Coke, Optimus responds, “Sorry, I don’t have real-time info, but I can take you to the kitchen if you want to check for a Coke there.” As they prepare to walk, someone off-camera mentions the robot needs more space and will eventually walk faster.
You can watch the full exchange below:
Elon’s Tesla Optimus 🤖🔥 is here! Dawn of the physical Agentforce revolution, tackling human work for $200K–$500K. Productivity game-changer! Congrats @elonmusk, and thank you for always being so kind to me! 🚀 #Tesla #Optimus pic.twitter.com/bA5IYIylE1
— Marc Benioff (@Benioff) September 3, 2025
As of Thursday morning, Tesla shares are stable at around $333, showing a 22% increase over the last six months. On Tuesday, Musk unveiled Tesla’s Master Plan Part IV, positioning Optimus as a core element. He projects that “about 80% of Tesla’s value will eventually come from Optimus,” potentially valuing the program at $20 trillion based on the company’s current market cap.
Musk initially aimed for thousands of Optimus units in 2025, with potential revenue exceeding $10 trillion. However, export restrictions from China on rare-earth materials needed for the robots’ movement have caused setbacks. During Tesla’s April earnings call, Musk cited a magnet issue as disrupting production because China requires assurance that the rare-earth magnets won’t be used for military purposes. Tesla is working with Beijing to obtain necessary export licenses. Further complicating matters, Milan Kovac, who led Optimus development since 2022, resigned in June.
The projected price for Tesla’s Optimus robot is between $15,000 and $30,000 at launch, with recent updates suggesting the initial consumer models will be priced around $18,999 to $20,000, depending on features and configuration. Elon Musk and Tesla have publicly targeted keeping the price “under $20,000” for the base version, though more advanced or customized units could cost more.
Production reality check
While Musk’s claims remain optimistic, the reality of producing Optimus is more complex. Tesla initially aimed to produce 5,000 units by the end of 2025, but has so far only manufactured hundreds of prototypes. Following the departure of Kovac, the program is being redesigned under Ashok Elluswamy, Tesla’s VP of AI software.
Technical challenges are also impacting the project. The Information reports that engineers are encountering issues such as overheating joints, limited battery life, difficulties in achieving human-like dexterity, and overall efficiency problems. Tesla has reportedly accumulated mostly complete robot bodies awaiting crucial components like hands and forearms, with production of these parts lagging. Current prototypes used in Tesla’s battery workshops are reportedly operating at less than half the efficiency of human workers. The company paused parts procurement in June to redesign core systems, with suppliers anticipating months for the fixes.
Tesla did not immediately respond to Fortune’s request for comment.
What it all means for Tesla
Benioff’s endorsement of Optimus aligns with his transformation of Salesforce into an “agentic” enterprise. The company has widely implemented AI agents, reducing customer support staff from 9,000 to 5,000 while maintaining service levels. This experience gives credence to his assessment of physical robots as the future.
“I’m not just managing human beings—I’m also managing agents, an entirely new type of digital labor,” Benioff stated at the Salesforce 2.0 event last December. He views robots as “physical manifestations of agents,” potentially placing companies like Tesla at the forefront of a trillion-dollar market.
While Musk increasingly frames Tesla as an AI and robotics company, rather than just an automaker, skeptics point to Tesla’s history of delayed timelines – as evidenced by this list. Many of Musk’s promises are yet to materialize. The stakes are high for Optimus. Success could revitalize Tesla and revolutionize industries like manufacturing and caregiving, justifying its high valuation. However, continued production challenges risk turning it into another instance of Musk overpromising on groundbreaking technologies.
For this story, Fortune used generative AI to help with an initial draft. An editor verified the accuracy of the information before publishing.