Given the current state of the world, it can sometimes feel like we’re living through a Shakespearean tragedy—with Elon Musk cast as a controversial, Macbeth-like figure.
Once known primarily for his role in PayPal, the world’s richest man has built an expansive empire that now includes SpaceX, X, and Tesla. More recently, he’s dipped into politics by leading the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency.
As Musk pushes forward with his bold ambitions—possibly eyeing a future on Mars—his ongoing involvement with Tesla is beginning to resemble a poisoned chalice for the electric vehicle giant.
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Although Musk wasn’t an original founder of Tesla, his role as CEO since October 2008 has firmly established him as the face of the company.
However, that visibility has come at a significant cost. His association with DOGE, mass layoffs, and sweeping cuts to government department funding have sparked growing public backlash—including calls to boycott Tesla.
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Tesla and Musk deny claims he’s stepping back from the company (FREDERIC J. BROWN / Contributor / Getty)
Former President Donald Trump is attempting to counter recent economic pressures by transforming the front of the White House into an EV showroom. While Tesla is reportedly less affected by Trump’s new tariffs than some competitors, public unease has contributed to a sharp decline in the company’s profits.
Amid the turmoil, speculation about Tesla parting ways with Elon Musk has intensified. One prominent investor has even publicly called for his removal as CEO.
Musk is expected to scale back his political involvement, which could allow him to refocus on stabilizing Tesla. This shift seemingly contradicts reports that the company is actively searching for his replacement.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Tesla’s board contacted executive search firms in March 2025 to explore potential candidates to succeed Musk, citing multiple anonymous sources.
In response, Musk’s camp has firmly denied any plans for a leadership change. Posting from Tesla’s official X account, Chair Robyn Denholm dismissed the report, stating: “Earlier today, there was a media report erroneously claiming that the Tesla Board had contacted recruitment firms to initiate a CEO search at the company.”
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“This is completely untrue (and this was communicated to the media prior to publication). Elon Musk remains CEO of Tesla, and the Board has full confidence in his ability to deliver on the company’s ambitious growth plans,” the company stated.
Musk himself didn’t hold back, taking aim at The Wall Street Journal in a post accusing the outlet of serious misconduct: “It is an EXTREMELY BAD BREACH OF ETHICS that the WSJ would publish a DELIBERATELY FALSE ARTICLE and fail to include an unequivocal denial beforehand by the Tesla board of directors.” He later reposted a comment calling the publication “trash.”
During Tesla’s latest earnings call—where the board was pressed to address a significant drop in profits—Musk assured stakeholders: “I’ll be allocating far more of my time to Tesla.”
Despite the mounting challenges, it appears the company’s controversial CEO isn’t stepping away anytime soon.
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