Tesla began searching for a new general director instead of a mask because of his statements and a passion for politics, writes WSJ. The company denies this

About a month ago, the leadership of Tesla seriously dealt with the issue of continuity - against the backdrop of the collapse of shares and an increase in the discontent of shareholders. The Board of Directors turned to several recruiting companies with a request to search for a new CEO instead of Ilon Mask, writes The Wall Street Journal.

The reason was the fears that Musk pays less Tesla attention, giving preference to work in the administration of Donald Trump. Some employees of the company began to consider its political activity as a factor that impedes business.

This information is denied by the chairman of the board of directors Tesla Robin Denholm (quote for Reuters):

“Information appeared in the media that the Tesla board of directors contacted the recruitment agencies to start the search for [the new] general director of the company. This is an absolute lie (and this was reported to the media even before the publication of the article). The general director of Tesla is Elon Musk, and the board of directors is completely confident in his ability to continue the implementation of an exciting growth plan. ”

Musk himself also called the publication a lie:

“This is a gross violation of ethics that WSJ published a deliberately false article, without included in it an unequivocal refutation from the board of directors Tesla!” - wrote Musk.

Why can mask be inconvenient

At the end of April, after the publication of the Tesla quarterly profit report by 71%, Musk said that he intends to reduce his participation in the work of the Department of State Efficiency ( DOGE ) and focus on managing his own companies. He complained that despite a share of 13%, it has been working without payment for seven years. The board of directors recently created a special compensation committee.

According to WSJ, the company caused the tension of the Mask statement, which began to agree with Trump's rhetoric against electric vehicles and environmental norms. Anxiety intensified inside the company: the loyalty of employees fell, hiring worsened, especially in California. Members of the board of directors are trying to convince investors that Musk is still involved in the affairs of the company - albeit remotely, as he is more busy with politics and spends the main time with Trump. One of them admitted that the businessman is often not ready for meetings and he needs to be pre -briefed.

The company itself is now going through the best times. According to the results of the quarter, Tesla revenue fell by 9%, sales - by 20%, especially in key regions. Cybertruck sales did not live up to expectations, the model passed eight reviews, only 39 thousand cars were sold at a target level of 250 thousand. The company reduces prices for existing models, abandoning expensive components. A fall with a record capitalization of $ 1.5 trillion to $ 900 billion, reputation losses and outflow of personnel show: Tesla is experiencing one of the most unstable periods in its history, WSJ notes.