Amazon made a profit in 2003 and literally every year after that.
Amazon can be forgiven for losing $1.6 Billion in the 2001 recession, but their pathway to profitability was rather short all else considered.
Amazon has famously low margins, but those low margins commanded a mighty profit for decades. They are not the company you want to compare against Tesla. Tesla's strategy is supposed to be luxury vehicles at high margins and relatively (relative to Ford / Toyota / its other competitors) low production.
In contrast: Amazon is low margins while out-producing its competition. A very, very bad comparison.
Amazon was profitable for nearly all years after 2003.
2003: $35 Million profit
2004: $588 Million profit
2005: $359 Million
2006: $190 Million
2007: $476 Million
2008: $645 Million
2009: $902 Million
2010: $1,152 Million
2011: $631 Million
2012: $(39) Million <--- First loss
2013: $274 Million
2014: $(241) Million <--- 2nd loss
2015: $596 Million
2016: $2,371 Million
2017: $3,033 Million
2018: $10,073 Million
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Aside from 2012 and 2014, Amazon was both profitable AND cash flow positive. Amazon was Cash flow positive all 15 years in this time period as well. But I'm talking net profit / net loss here.
IMO: there's no valid comparison to Tesla here. Amazon is not the company you want to compare against Tesla's performance.
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Anyway, yes, Jeff Bezos sacrificing one year or two years of profits (over 15 years) for greater long-term growth could make sense. That doesn't actually mean its healthy for Tesla to consistently lose money for 10 years straight.
I guess my major point is that Amazon didn’t need to consistently find new capital in order to keep the business afloat. Musk does. That’s partyly the distinction between cash flow and profit
Amazon can be forgiven for losing $1.6 Billion in the 2001 recession, but their pathway to profitability was rather short all else considered.
Amazon has famously low margins, but those low margins commanded a mighty profit for decades. They are not the company you want to compare against Tesla. Tesla's strategy is supposed to be luxury vehicles at high margins and relatively (relative to Ford / Toyota / its other competitors) low production.
In contrast: Amazon is low margins while out-producing its competition. A very, very bad comparison.