
After being publicly told to "shut up" by Elon Musk, longtime Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) bull Dan Ives said that the tech mogul is entitled to his opinion.
What Happened: Ives, a tech analyst at Wedbush Securities and one of Tesla's most vocal supporters, appeared on Bloomberg News.
During the conversation, he was asked about Musk's now viral reaction to Ives’ call for Tesla’s board to create 25% voting control for the billionaire, set boundaries to ensure Musk spends a certain amount of time at the EV giant and oversight of his political endeavors.
In response, Ives said that following Musk's remark, he was sent hundreds of "shut up, Dan" memes, but "that's cool."
"To me, I just actually view it more as like he has his right to an opinion. I disagree. I’m a huge supporter of him and Tesla, but I’m more focused on it creating dialogue," Ives said.
See Also: Elon Musk-Led Tesla Records 9% Surge in June Model Y Sales In China
Earlier, Ives told CNBC that he's not going stop pressing the issue just because Musk doesn't agree. He went on to say that Tesla shareholders' patience is running thin and Musk is still the company's greatest asset.
Why It's Important: Earlier this month, after Musk announced his "America Party," Ives called it the opposite of what investors want.
“Musk diving deeper into politics and now trying to take on the Beltway establishment is exactly the opposite direction that most Tesla investors want him to take during this crucial period for Tesla,” he said at the time.
Ives has also maintained his bullish stance on Tesla, projecting a $500 price target and a $2 trillion valuation. He previously called Nvidia Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) and Tesla the top physical AI plays in the market right now.
Tesla currently has an average price target of $309.36, based on the estimates of 28 analysts. The three latest updates — from Mizuho, Guggenheim and Wedbush set an average target of $350, suggesting a potential upside of 18.16%.
Price Action: TSLA shares edged up 0.11% in after-hours trading after falling 0.65% during regular market hours, according to Benzinga Pro data.
Benzinga's Edge Stock Rankings indicate that TSLA is trending downward in the short term but shows an upward trend over the medium and long term. While its growth score remains strong, its value rating is relatively weaker. More detailed performance data is available here.

Photo Courtesy: Frederic Legrand – COMEO on Shutterstock.com
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