Tesla has always ridden on big dreams and even bigger promises. The automaker has a history of betting it all on risky situations—and generally, those moves have paid off. It's not only the lone successful automotive startup the world has seen in about a century, it's also worth more than $1 trillion these days.

 

You can attribute that sky-high valuation on Tesla's biggest bet of all: autonomy. The automaker, which would rather be viewed as a AI and tech company that just happens to build cars, believes it can solve self-driving with its Full Self-Driving software and its upcoming Robotaxi product. And investors believe that this risk could lead to a huge payday if it pays off.