At the Qatar Economic Forum on Monday, a combative Elon Musk took on criticism about his role in the US government's controversial Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), as well as his myriad business roles, with a particular focus on Tesla (TSLA).

When questioned about Tesla's weakening sales in the first quarter and April sales thus far in Europe, Musk said the business has "already turned around," adding that "Europe is our weakest market" and that Tesla was "strong everywhere else."

"Sales numbers are strong, we see no problem with demand," Musk added, despite falling sales numbers to the contrary.

Musk said the market is the ultimate scorecard for Tesla’s state of business.

"You can just look at the stock price if you want the best inside information," he said. "The stock market analysts have that, and a stock wouldn't be trading near all-time highs if it was not, if things weren't in good shape. They're fine, don't worry about it."

Read more about Tesla's stock moves and today's market action.

While Tesla stock has recovered this year, it is still down 13% year to date and off 30% from its all-time high. Shares lost steam in afternoon trading, closing up only 0.5% after gaining nearly 3% earlier in the day.

Musk also appeared on CNBC following his Qatar interview and confirmed a few interesting details concerning Tesla's upcoming Austin robotaxi test.

Musk confirmed robotaxi testing will begin in Austin at the end of June, with only about 10 EVs on the road with remote tele-operators who can take control of the vehicle for safety purposes. This largely confirms what Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas wrote last week in a note to clients following a Tesla visit.

Musk added however that if initial testing goes smoothly, tesla could rapidly add thousands of vehicles to the robotaxi test in Austin.

“It’s prudent for us to start with a small number, confirm that things are going well and then scale it up,” Musk said.

Musk’s compensation came up as well during his interview in Qatar, as stock ownership is the main component of his remuneration.

Last week, the Financial Times reported Tesla's board had formed a special committee to explore a new pay package for Musk, with stock options potentially on the table. The committee will explore "alternative ways" to compensate Musk for past work should Tesla fail to reinstate Musk's prior 2018 pay package, which is on appeal with the Delaware Supreme Court.