Elon Musk says Optimus will end poverty, and deliver top medical care

Tesla’s Optimus robot is Musk’s latest goal for the company. Following shareholder approval of his unprecedented $1 trillion compensation package on November 6, he says the machine could help end poverty and support better healthcare. Musk suggests it could outgrow cell phones in popularity.

Currently, Optimus robots walk on their own in Tesla’s buildings. Musk has stated that Optimus robots are “just walking around the office, 24/7 with no one minding them & then they go charge themselves.”

Self-charging lets them work long hours. Tesla is adapting its artificial intelligence to support the robot’s movement. This is similar to what’s used in their cars.

Testing happens mostly inside Tesla’s plants. The hope is to use these machines for moving supplies and other basic work. Expectations include making thousands a year, and Musk wants to expand production rapidly if factories can keep up.​

Musk has repeatedly declared that Optimus “has the potential to be the biggest product of all time, bigger than cell phones, bigger than anything”. At the November 2025 shareholder meeting, he elaborated that “every human on Earth is going to want to have their own personal R2-D2 C3PO,”

Engineering obstacles

Optimus stands nearly five feet eight inches and weighs about 125 pounds. Designing hands to copy the movement of human fingers is still tough. Tesla’s latest V3 version includes hands that offer 22 degrees of freedom.

Precision handling becomes possible, yet the robots keep to basic assignments for now. Tech advisers believe issues such as balance and battery strength remain difficult.​

Tesla uses an approach where people perform regular activities and the robot watches. These actions include things like moving cups between tables. Cameras record each motion so Optimus can practice later. Most of the training is strictly controlled in predictable settings. Large, unexpected environments present more barriers for progress.​

Promises and healthcare

According to Musk, “Optimus will actually eliminate poverty” and “give people incredible medical care.” He argues that Optimus will one day surpass any human surgeon in skill. Right now, robots at Tesla complete simple chores, not surgery. Teams continue working on new medical features.

Musk also said, “Optimus is kind of like an infinite money glitch. Maybe there won’t even be money in the future, but might be measured in terms of wattage, like, how much power can you bring from electrical standpoint?”

Pricing and future plans

Tesla says the goal is to price Optimus between $20,000 and $30,000. Musk hopes billions of these robots could handle chores in homes and tough industry situations. Several investors support the idea, provided that live demonstrations match Musk’s statements and factory delays improve.​

Musk wants a lot from Optimus; walking, lifting, learning by watching, and large-scale production. Training has improved, and Tesla now uses better hand technology. Big claims about changing healthcare or economics aren’t reality yet. Progress is steady, though Optimus remains a project in development.

Optimus and Elon showing off their dance moves: Video

Optimus and Elon showing off their dance moves pic.twitter.com/SAGFvBWoHj

— Zack (@BLKMDL3) November 6, 2025

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