I'm not sure you understand what that means?
The only profitable business is a business that has reached market saturation. A business that can't grow its market share by re-investing the margin on its products. Both businesses are in fledgling industries and are nowhere near saturation. In fact, both companies are expanding their respective markets, not merely gobbling up the shares of other companies. It would make no sense for either to be profitable.
> $2.8B is a hell of a bet to make on the hope of something working out
That's a relative statement. Relative to what? Microsoft just bought a shitty website for $26.2 billion.
> Two cash-flow-negative companies combined together doesn't magically result in more money
Their cash-flow is irrelevant, Tesla has had little difficulty raising capital.
> if anything it hastens the death of both companies
So the death of both is already etched in stone and this just hastens things? Nonsense.