Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the company plans to sell its fully autonomous Cybercab for $30,000 or less by 2027.

The electric-vehicle maker announced Tuesday that the first Cybercab had rolled off the production line at its Giga Texas factory. Shortly after, Musk responded on X to a user seeking clarification about whether the vehicle would actually launch at that price point before 2027.

“Elon – to be clear – the bet was that Tesla wouldn’t sell a Cybercab to a customer for $30k or less before 2027,” the user asked. “Are you saying THAT specifically is going to happen?”

“Yes,” Musk responded.

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Elon Musk attends the Viva Technology conference at the Porte de Versailles exhibition center on June 16, 2023, in Paris, France. (Chesnot/Getty Images)

The “bet” referenced in the exchange dates back to 2024, when Musk first unveiled the long-anticipated robotaxI and said it would cost less than $30,000 and enter production in 2026. 

YouTuber Marques Brownlee, known as MKBHD, publicly questioned at the time whether Tesla could hit that target by 2027, saying he would shave his head on camera if Musk proved him wrong.

Following Tuesday’s production milestone, Musk appeared to lean into the challenge, reacting to an edited image of a bald Brownlee circulating on X.

SELF-DRIVING CAR COMPANIES WAYMO, TESLA TO TESTIFY AT KEY SENATE COMMITTEE ON REGULATING GROWING INDUSTRY

The exterior of a Tesla Cybercab at the 2025 Autosalon on Jan. 10, 2025 in Brussels, Belgium.  (Sjoerd van der Wal/Getty Images)

“Gonna happen,” Musk wrote, adding a laughing emoji.

The Cybercab is a two-seat vehicle designed without traditional driving controls such as pedals or a steering wheel. 

Tesla describes it as a “purpose-built fully autonomous vehicle” that will eventually offer rides directly to consumers.

TESLA ENDS PRODUCTION OF MODEL S AND MODEL X VEHICLES, WILL FOCUS ON ROBOTS IN 2026

A Tesla Cybercab is pictured on display at the AutoSalon on Jan. 10, 2025 in Brussels, Belgium.  (Sjoerd van der Wal/Getty Images)

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Still, Musk warned last month that early production of both the Cybercab and Tesla’s humanoid robot, Optimus, would be “agonizingly slow” before ramping up over time, Reuters reported.

Tesla and Brownlee did not immediately respond to FOX Business’ request for comment.

Nvidia shares rose around 2.5% Wednesday morning, following a tepid start to 2026.

Shares of Meta and Google parent Alphabet were little changed.

Shares of chip designer Arm gained about 1.5%. Nvidia uses Arm’s technology in its CPUs.

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Mortgage rates dropped this week to the lowest level since September 2022, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday.

Freddie Mac’s latest Primary Mortgage Market Survey, released Thursday, showed the average rate on the benchmark 30-year fixed mortgage fell to 6.01% from last week’s reading of 6.09%. 

The average rate on a 30-year loan was 6.85% a year ago.

RENT BECOMING MORE AFFORDABLE FOR MANY AMERICANS AS MARKET STABILIZES

The average rate on the 30-year fixed mortgage fell to 6.01% this week, Freddie Mac said. (Ty Wright/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“This lower rate environment is not only improving affordability for prospective homebuyers, it’s also strengthening the financial position of homeowners,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist. “Over the past year, refinance application activity has more than doubled, enabling many recent buyers to reduce their annual mortgage payments by thousands of dollars.”

The average rate on a 15-year fixed mortgage fell to 5.35% from last week’s reading of 5.44%.

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US HOME PRICES ARE RISING – BUT THESE FAST-GROWING MARKETS REMAIN AFFORDABLE

Mortgage rates are affected by several factors, including the Federal Reserve and geopolitics. Though mortgage rates are not directly affected by the Fed’s interest rate decisions, they closely track the 10-year Treasury yield. The 10-year yield hovered around 4.08% as of Thursday afternoon.

“This dip from 6.09% last week follows a notable slide in the 10-year Treasury yield, which hit its lowest point since late November 2025 after last week’s softer-than-expected CPI reading and a relatively optimistic jobs report,” said Realtor.com senior economist Jake Krimmel.

The average rate on a 15-year fixed mortgage fell to 5.35% from last week’s reading of 5.44%. (Mike Blake/Reuters)

Krimmel also said that the lower rates are setting the stage for the spring homebuying season.

“There is a chance to be nearly a full percentage point lower than that this spring, which would meaningfully boost purchasing power,” he said. “However, the supply side remains mixed: new construction in 2025 finished behind 2024, and inventory growth has clearly lost steam.”

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Krimmel noted, however, that if the mortgage “lock-in effect” doesn’t ease, lower rates could reignite competition in the market and lead to a spike in prices.

“Shark Tank” investor Kevin O’Leary tore into California Democrats as “terrible managers” over a proposed billionaire wealth tax Thursday, urging state residents to fire their leaders and “hire somebody else.”

“Why don’t the people of California say, ‘We have terrible managers?’” O’Leary asked on “Varney & Co.”

“They never talk about why expenses are going up, why they should cut government. Their services aren’t any better than what I’m getting here in Miami, and we control these things. We have better managers, so get the whacking stick out and do the right thing. Hire somebody else.”

The criticism comes as California lawmakers weigh a one-time 5% tax on residents worth more than $1 billion, a proposal that would apply to individuals who lived in the state as of Jan. 1 and could come due next year, FOX Business’ Connor Hansen reported.

WASHINGTON POST CITES U-HAUL DATA IN CALIFORNIA EXODUS TO ‘PRO-GROWTH’ STATES, SAYS ‘DECLINE IS A CHOICE’

Kevin O’Leary, chairman of O’Leary Ventures, arrives to speak before the Senate Committee on Aging and the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party joint hearing April 9, 2025, in Washington, D.C.  (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images / Getty Images)

Supporters of the measure argue it would generate tens of millions of dollars for public programs such as healthcare and education, but opponents warn the levy could force billionaires to liquidate assets or unwind companies to cover the bill, accelerating an exodus of high-net-worth residents and entrepreneurs.

O’Leary said the outcome is already visible.

“When you basically start taxing people for success, it’s un-American,” he said.

CALIFORNIA’S HATRED FOR CAPITALISM IS KILLING THE GOOSE THAT LAID ITS GOLDEN EGG

California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks during a rally Nov. 8, 2025, in Houston, Texas. Newsom has warned about the negative implications the wealth tax course pose. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images / Getty Images)

“And, as the Constitution provides, competition of states, they move to places like where I am — Miami.”

The proposed measure even raised the eyebrows of California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, who acknowledged the wealth tax is bad economics.

“The evidence is in. The impacts are very real — not just substantive economic impacts in terms of the revenue, but start-ups, the indirect impacts of … people questioning long-term commitments, medium-term commitments,” Newsom said.

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“That’s not what we need right now at a time of so much uncertainty. Quite the contrary.”

He predicted the measure “will be defeated.”

House Republicans have moved to block the proposal at the federal level, introducing legislation that would prevent states from retroactively taxing residents even after they relocate to lower-tax jurisdictions.

FOX Business’ Kristen Altus contributed to this report.

Lionel Messi and Son Heung-min are set to face off for the first time in Major League Soccer when reigning champions Inter Miami CF visit Los Angeles FC in the 2026 season opener Saturday at the historic Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, a matchup billed as the league’s biggest star clash since Messi’s arrival and a perfect curtain-raiser for MLS’s World Cup year.

The game, kicking off at 9:30 p.m. ET (6:30 p.m. PT) as the inaugural Walmart Saturday Showdown on Apple TV, pits the Argentine legend against the South Korean superstar in what could be a preview of high-profile battles throughout the campaign. Messi, who led Inter Miami to the 2025 MLS Cup and back-to-back Landon Donovan MVP awards, returns from a minor hamstring strain that sidelined him briefly but saw him back in full training Feb. 18. Son, in his first full MLS season after joining LAFC mid-2025 from Tottenham Hotspur in a record transfer, dazzled with 12 goals and four assists in 13 appearances (including playoffs), earning MLS Goal of the Year honors.

The venue shift from BMO Stadium to the 77,000-plus capacity Coliseum — the first time LAFC has moved a home match — reflects massive anticipated demand for the generational showdown. Tickets sold briskly, with expectations of a near-sellout crowd drawn by the two global icons and supporting talent like Denis Bouanga (LAFC’s 2025 Golden Boot contender) and Inter Miami’s Rodrigo De Paul.

Messi enters 2026 as MLS’s undisputed face, having tallied 29 goals and 19 assists in the 2025 regular season before adding a postseason record 15 goal contributions en route to the title. At 38, he uses league play to stay sharp for what may be his final World Cup this summer in the U.S., Mexico and Canada. Son, 33, brings explosive pace, elite finishing and leadership — he captained South Korea — to LAFC, where he formed a lethal partnership with Bouanga (combined 25 goals, eight assists post-arrival in 2025). His free-kick wizardry and versatility make him a preseason MVP favorite alongside Messi.

Head-to-head history is limited: the pair met twice internationally (Argentina vs. South Korea friendlies or qualifiers), with Messi edging the record 1-0-1 in those encounters, scoring twice while Son contributed one assist. No prior club clashes exist, making Saturday’s meeting a fresh chapter. Comparisons highlight Messi’s unmatched vision and playmaking (career assists leader) against Son’s directness and work rate, though Messi’s trophy haul (World Cup, multiple Ballon d’Or) dwarfs Son’s Premier League and Asian records.

Both teams boast strong squads: Inter Miami features World Cup winners and a younger, faster core after offseason tweaks, while LAFC adds depth around Son and goalkeeper Hugo Lloris (another World Cup captain). The match tests Miami’s title defense against LAFC’s ambition to dethrone them.

MLS Commissioner Don Garber called it “the perfect way to launch a season in a World Cup host nation,” emphasizing the league’s star power. Broadcast on Apple TV globally (with local options), the game draws eyes from Argentina, South Korea and beyond, where fan bases for both players are massive.

As Messi and Son prepare — Messi rested selectively, Son skipping some preseason to peak — the clash promises fireworks. LAFC seeks revenge after Miami’s 2025 dominance, while Inter Miami aims to start strong in their back-to-back bid.

With kickoff approaching, anticipation builds for what could be MLS’s defining moment of 2026.