In many ways, these have been tough days for Tesla. Falling sales. Squeezed profit margins. Proposed changes in US government policy that could cost the company billions.

For Elon Musk fans, it’s the half a trillion-dollar bet. That is how much the stock market value of Tesla has rocketed since the presidential election, a vertiginous climb uninterrupted in recent days despite a disappointing financial report that would have sunk the stock of nearly any other company.

Elon Musk's Tesla has seen a huge drop in sales in a number of European countries in recent weeks as the billionaire's involvement in politics has taken a toll on his business