The Tesla Bear Case Tesla's reported interest in picking up a stake in South Korean battery supplier LG Chem raises eyebrows regarding how advanced its own battery technology is, said Tesla bear Gordon Johnson. The 10% LG Chem stake Tesla is reportedly interested in acquiring for about $3 billion to $5 billion suggests the company would need to commit a lot of capital — even as it has capital needs to build its battery manufacturing vision, Johnson said. This would mean another Tesla capital raise could be in the offing, he said.