Overview
- At least ten senior leaders have exited Tesla over the past year, with new reporting detailing ongoing churn across Tesla and xAI.
- Business Insider’s review of Tesla’s organigram shows Elon Musk with 19 direct reports in August, down from 35 before 2024 layoffs, concentrating authority around a smaller core that includes Franz von Holzhausen, Ashok Elluswamy, Lars Moravy and Tom Zhu.
- Departures came in two waves, first in October 2024 ahead of a robotaxi event and then from April to August 2025 following cost cuts and the cancellation of the NV‑91 affordable EV program.
- xAI experienced especially rapid turnover as CFO Mike Liberatore left after 102 days, citing 120+ hour weeks before joining OpenAI, and chief legal officer Robert Keele also departed after a short stint.
- Former and current employees describe an abrasive leadership style and extreme workloads, while rivals such as Waymo and Uber have hired ex‑Tesla talent as the carmaker faces falling deliveries and reduced U.S. EV incentives.