Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) is one of the largest publicly traded stocks in the world and most popular stocks for many retail investors. In honor of the 26th anniversary of the company’s IPO, Benzinga asked its viewers how many have owned Tesla stock in the past and currently own shares.
Tesla Stock Ownership
Tesla went public on June 29, 2010 with shares priced at $17. Over a decade later, investors who bought in at the time of the IPO have been pleasantly rewarded. Investors who bought in other periods of time have also benefitted and grown their wealth, just like CEO Elon Musk.
Benzinga viewers of "PreMarket Playbook" were asked about their past and current Tesla stock ownership during the Tuesday, June 30 episode.
"Tesla went public 16 years ago on June 29, 2010. Which of the following best describes you?" Benzinga asked.
The results are:
- Traded Tesla before, but don’t own: 53%
- Never owned Tesla stock (outside ETFs/mutual funds): 27%
- Currently own Tesla stock: 20%
The poll results show that 53% of viewers polled have owned Tesla stock in the past, but don’t currently own. Add this with the 20% who said they currently own Tesla stock and the amount of people who have owned Tesla stock at some point would be 73%.
The remaining 27% of viewers said they have never owned Tesla stock outside of owning ETFs or mutual funds that own the electric vehicle stock, which would give them indirect ownership.
"PreMarket Playbook" airs on YouTube Monday through Friday at 8 a.m. ET and is hosted by Ryan Faloona. The poll in this story featured the answers of 214 viewers.
Tesla’s Lasting Popularity
While it is unknown what percentages other popular stocks like the other Magnificent Seven members would get from Benzinga viewers, the fact that 73% of viewers polled say they have owned Tesla stock at some point is likely one of the higher figures for a public company.
With 20% of viewers still owning Tesla stock, that is also a bullish sign on the future of the company and comes with shares down 5% year-to-date in 2026.
Benzinga regularly publishes its most-searched ticker stories each month. For the month of May, Tesla was the fourth most searched ticker. For 2025, Tesla ranked second.
The stock regularly ranks among the top five most-searched tickers on Benzinga Pro each month. While searches don’t directly translate to ownership, they do indicate the importance of the company and the popularity.
A report from brokerage company Robinhood earlier this year showed that Tesla was the second top stock based on buys and sales for the Jan. 1 through May 1, 2026 period.
Tesla remains one of the most popular stocks on the planet. The recent IPO of SpaceX (NASDAQ:SPCX), a space company led by Musk, may have taken some of the luster away from Tesla.
With investors and fans of Musk wanting to bet on his future, they likely own Tesla and SpaceX stock. For others, looking for which stock may perform better, some investors may have sold off their Tesla stock to buy SpaceX stock.
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock
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