Tesla has denied reports that it has contacted recruitment firms to search for a replacement for Elon Musk as its chief executive. The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that the electric car firm’s board began exploring options for a successor to Mr. Musk last month due to frustration over his involvement in US politics and Tesla’s sinking share price.
In a statement on Thursday, Tesla said the report was “absolutely false,” while Mr. Musk described the article as “a discredit to journalism” on his social media platform X. Tesla chair Robyn Denholm also refuted the claims.
“Vision and opportunity. Tesla's a big company. I believed in what the CEO's mission was, and I wanted to be a part of it”
pic.twitter.com/rReMql6UEE— Tesla Owners Silicon Valley (@teslaownersSV) May 4, 2025
🚨 ELON MUSK: "Tesla in a few months will release unsupervised FSD. So the cars will be driving around by themselves, with no people in them. So literally, no one in the car on public roads. It'll be unusual to see a manually driven car. It'll be like seeing a horse." pic.twitter.com/pyaz5ScdJF
— DogeDesigner (@cb_doge) May 4, 2025
“There was a media report erroneously claiming that the Tesla Board had contacted recruitment firms to initiate a CEO search at the company,” Denholm said. “This is absolutely false (and this was communicated to the media before the report was published).” She added that the board is highly confident in Musk’s ability to continue leading Tesla’s growth. The denial follows reports by the Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed sources, that the board had suggested Mr.
Musk dedicate more time to Tesla, with the implication being he needed to make this commitment public. Last week, Mr.
Tesla board firmly denies CEO search
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Musk stated on a conference call about earnings, “I’ll be allocating far more of my time to Tesla,” and pledged to “significantly” reduce his role in the government. Elon Musk has faced criticism for his involvement in US President Donald Trump’s administration, particularly his chairmanship of the Department for Government Efficiency (Doge). This role has attracted significant backlash, with some Tesla customers protesting and boycotting the firm due to Musk’s political activities and views.
In the wake of these issues, investors and analysts have partly blamed Musk’s divided focus for Tesla’s financial struggles. Despite this, President Trump has expressed support for Musk, praising his contributions and indicating a willingness to keep him involved for as long as possible. Amid this controversy, Mr.
Musk has continued to juggle multiple high-profile roles, including his leadership at SpaceX. He has publicly acknowledged the extensive responsibilities he manages, humorously stating in a video from a White House cabinet meeting, “They say I wear a lot of hats. That’s true.
Even my hat has a hat.”
Furthermore, Musk has periodically called for greater scrutiny of the US Federal Reserve, suggesting that the Fed’s expenditures, particularly on headquarters renovations, should be audited. His comments reflect his long-standing interest in government efficiency and transparency. Overall, while Tesla’s leadership has firmly denied the reported search for Musk’s successor, the situation highlights ongoing tensions and challenges within the company as it navigates both internal and external pressures.
Image Credits: Photo by David von Diemar on Unsplash
April Isaacs is a news contributor for DevX.com She is long-term, self-proclaimed nerd. She loves all things tech and computers and still has her first Dreamcast system. It is lovingly named Joni, after Joni Mitchell.
