Cathie Wood names Tesla and SpaceX as her top AI stock picks

Cathie Wood has never been shy about picking sides. On July 22, 2026, appearing on Fox Business, the ARK Invest CEO made her position crystal clear: Tesla and SpaceX are her top AI stock choices, and she thinks the rest of the market is still underestimating both.

Wood’s reasoning is straightforward, even if the underlying technology is not. Tesla brings robotaxis, the Optimus humanoid robot program, and AI infrastructure to the table. SpaceX brings orbital data centers, advanced satellite networks, and what Wood described as the potential to become “the most important company in global history.” Together, she sees them as the twin engines of a technological transformation that makes most other investment theses look incremental by comparison.

ARK is putting serious money where its mouth is

This is not purely a talking-head moment. ARK Invest backed its conviction with a significant capital commitment when SpaceX went public in June 2026, deploying approximately $530 million on the IPO debut day alone. Since then, ARK has continued buying, adding over $80 million in additional SpaceX shares through mid-July.

Tesla has received similar treatment. After the stock dropped roughly 15% amid investor concerns about AI development timelines, ARK stepped in on July 24, 2026, purchasing approximately 160,000 shares worth around $50 million.

SpaceX itself has not been immune to broader market pressure. The stock traded as low as approximately $1.9 trillion in market cap terms amid recent volatility, representing a decline of roughly 38% from its peak. ARK kept buying through the drawdown.

Why Tesla and SpaceX qualify as AI plays

The robotaxi business represents a genuine AI deployment at scale. Wood sees the same logic applying to Optimus: a humanoid robot that trains on real-world interaction data is, in effect, an AI model with legs.

SpaceX is a less obvious AI story on the surface, but Wood’s thesis centers on infrastructure. Orbital data centers, powered by satellite connectivity and operating outside traditional terrestrial constraints, could become critical backbone for AI computation as demand continues to scale. The Starlink network provides both the connectivity layer and a revenue stream that funds the more speculative bets.

Tesla has consistently represented roughly 8% to 10% of ARK’s flagship ARKK ETF, making it a core holding rather than a peripheral bet. SpaceX, post-IPO, has rapidly joined that tier of conviction.

What this means for investors watching the AI trade

Wood’s broader implication is a thesis about where AI value accrues. The dominant market assumption has been that large language model developers and cloud hyperscalers capture most of the economic surplus from AI. Wood is making a different bet: that physical-world AI applications, specifically autonomous vehicles, humanoid robotics, and space-based infrastructure, represent the larger long-term opportunity.

ARK’s reduced commentary around crypto assets in its recent statements is also worth noting. The firm that once made Bitcoin a cornerstone of its innovation thesis appears to be reallocating attention toward public equities in AI and aerospace.

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