Tesla Seeks Successor for Musk? Board and Musk Deny WSJ’s False Report

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Tesla Denies Rumors of Searching for a New CEO

The Wall Street Journal published a report today claiming that Tesla’s board had contacted several high-level headhunting firms to look for a new CEO to succeed Elon Musk.

In response, Tesla Chair Robyn Denholm vehemently denied the news this afternoon, stating that the report is “completely false” and emphasizing that the board “has a high level of confidence in Musk continuing to execute the company’s future growth plans.” Musk himself also responded on X, calling the report “deliberately released fake news.”

Tesla at a Critical Turning Point

As Musk has devoted much of his energy to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), coupled with political controversies that have led to a significant decline in Tesla’s electric vehicle sales, many Tesla showrooms and charging stations in the U.S. and Europe have faced vandalism. However, Musk previously stated in an earnings call that he would significantly reduce the time spent on matters related to the Trump administration and focus more on running Tesla.

In the face of increasingly fierce global competition, Musk has shifted Tesla’s focus from creating affordable electric vehicle platforms to launching autonomous taxi services and humanoid robots. He emphasized that Tesla’s future is no longer just as an automobile manufacturer, but as a company specializing in artificial intelligence and robotics.

Currently, a significant portion of Tesla’s company valuation is built upon this future vision, with some investors believing that the policies of the Trump administration will help facilitate this transformation. Last week, federal regulators eased testing regulations for autonomous vehicles, boosting Tesla’s stock price.