Tesla's Elon Musk makes $500 billion self-driving car pitch to investors

Tesla filed to raise at least $2 billion through debt and stock offerings

Elon Musk described autonomous-driving technology as “transformative” to Tesla in a call aimed at ginning up interest in the electric-car maker’s debt and stock offering of about $2 billion, according to two people who dialed in.

The chief executive officer said autonomy is a fundamental driver for Tesla and key to how it could become a “half-trillion dollar market cap company,” said the people, who asked not to be identified because the call wasn’t open to the public. A Tesla spokesman didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

The comments build on the case that Musk made during an investor day