Welcome back to the. Elon Musk. Podcast the World's. Authority on. Tesla. SpaceX X Neurolink and. All things Elon, I'm your host, Will Walden. Thanks to our amazing community members like you, we've reached the top 15 of Spotify's video podcast, the Top 10 audio podcast on both Apple and Spotify for the tech. Category. So you all make this possible. If you want to support us more, check out our Patreon. That's patreon.com/stage 0 news, so we can keep this free and
open for you to enjoy. Something interesting happened the other day. I was looking through our stats on Spotify and Apple Podcast and I noticed that about. 50. 5% of you are not subscribed to the show. That means 45% of you are subscribed and I really do appreciate your support. Now the. Other 55% of you are awesome, but I'm going to ask you for a. Favor, could you please hit the? Subscribe button. It'll take you one second. I'm going to promise you 10
years of this podcast for free. No pay walls. I'm not going to charge you anything ever, but I'm going to give you 10 years of this show for free. I've already been doing it for five years, and I plan on doing it for 10 more. And the only way that we can continue doing this is with your support. So one second. Of your. Time to hit the. Subscribe button right now would help the show tremendously. Thank you so much. Tesla began this year under pressure.
The company faced falling global demand, increased competition, and internal strain. The Wall Street Journal reported that Tesla's board initiated contact with executive search firms in early May. The stated goal was to explore potential replacements for Elon Musk. This story landed at a moment when Musk had just announced he would step back from leadership at his meme inspired crypto
project DOGE. He claimed this decision was to refocus attention on Tesla, which only deepened speculation. But that report was met with forceful pushback. Tesla board chair Robin Denholm said the board maintained full confidence in Musk and flatly denied any effort to replace him. Elon Musk also denied the story outright. Tesla declined to respond to Business Insider's request for comment. Despite those denials, the question remains active. If Elon Musk left, who could take over?
The question is not new. In 2022, during testimony over Musk's contested $55 billion compensation package, Tesla board member James Murdoch said Musk had named a possible successor. He didn't provide a name. That admission did not 'cause major concern at the time. But today, amid a difficult year, it feels more urgent.
Musk has LED Tesla since 2008. During that time, he has become not just the public face of the company, but a figure investors consider inseparable from Tesla's valuation. Deepwater Asset Management's Gene Munster said Musk holds Tesla together and pushes it forward. He believes Musk is irreplaceable. Munster suggested Tesla's stock could fall 25% or more if Musk left. That figure reflects not just Musk's influence, but the perception that Tesla is still
more than a car company. Bradley Tusk, A venture capitalist and political adviser, echoed that belief. He pointed to a key data point. Tesla's market capitalization remains larger than the combined total of the next nine biggest automakers. But in terms of unit sales, Tesla doesn't even crack the top 15. Tusk said the only explanation is investor faith in Musk. Without Musk, he said, Tesla would be viewed like any other automaker. That explains why replacing Musk
would be so difficult. The company is structured around his presence. Analysts believe any replacement would need to come from within Tesla. Gene Munster said Tesla's internal culture resists outsiders. The company values disruption and favors people who understand its internal rhythm and operational speed. There are a few potential internal candidates. Tom Zhu, Tesla's senior vice president of automotive, leads that list.
He helped scale Tesla's operations in China and now overseas global automotive operations. Zhu was seen on the ground during major production pushes, and he's known for being hands on. He lives in a company dormitory, eats in the factory cafeteria and models the kind of full immersion leadership Musk favors. Another candidate is Vaibhav Tunisia, Tesla's current chief financial officer.
Tunisia assumed that role in 2023 after years of managing financial operations within Tesla's demanding structure. His promotion came after Zachary Kirkhorn's departure, which surprised some investors. Tenaja had a long track record inside Tesla and was trusted with maintaining fiscal control at a time when margins were tightening due to global competition. 1/3 possibility is Omayyad Afshar, Elon Musk's
former chief of staff. Afshar oversaw construction of the Texas Gigafactory, which became a key site for Model Y production and cyber truck development. Former Tesla employees described Afshar as a final checkpoint for people trying to reach Musk. He acted as a filter enforcing Musk's priorities across departments. Seth Goldstein, an analyst at Morningstar, explained that Tesla's flat management structure gives division heads wide autonomy. This approach turns executives
into semi independent operators. Goldstein said that in this model, Tesla creates strong internal candidates without formally grooming them as successors. Leaders already manage critical functions with minimal oversight, which could ease a transition if needed. Still, there's a difference between operating a unit and steering the entire company. Tesla's mission, branding and public image are deeply tied to Musk. His behavior influences markets directly.
A single post on X can move Tesla's stock or change how customers perceive the brand. No internal candidate, no matter how skilled, matches that level of public impact. Investors are keenly aware of this. Retail traders follow Musk as much as they follow the company. Institutional investors place value on his continued involvement. Tesla's valuation includes an Elon premium, an intangible asset tied to his presence.
Removing Musk doesn't just create an operational gap, it changes the identity of Tesla. That's why analysts think Musk will stay in some capacity even if he ever gives up the CEO title. Gene Munster said he doubts Musk would ever fully exit Tesla. Instead, he expects Musk to maintain strategic control while installing a loyal executive to handle daily operations. This would preserve investor confidence and allow Musk to refocus on his other companies
without causing panic. Tesla's dependency on Musk raises questions about long term stability. No company can hinge its future on a single individual indefinitely. Succession planning is not just about who replaces Musk, but about whether Tesla can exist independently of him. As Tesla grows, it needs a structure that can function without crisis if Musk steps away. This story matters because Tesla effects millions of people, from shareholders and employees to
customers and partners. Tesla's choices shape the future of electric vehicles and energy products. A leadership transition would ripple across supply chains, job markets, and consumer expectations. The company also serves as a case study for personality driven corporate growth. Investors have rewarded Tesla not just for innovation, but for spectacle.
That model raises risk. If Tesla cannot transition leadership without damaging its stock or morale, then its growth has been built on unstable foundations. Another reason this story matters is because it touches on corporate governance. Tesla has faced questions about board independence, executive pay, and transparency. The Musk succession issue ties into all of these. Boards that fail to prepare for CEO transitions increase
vulnerability to shocks. The denial of the CEO search report may be true, or it may be a strategic delay. Musk's central role at Tesla is undeniable, but history shows that even the most iconic CE OS eventually leave. The companies that survive long term are the ones that plan ahead. Whether Tesla is doing that remains unclear. The current speculation about Musk's future reflects concern, not fantasy. Tesla's performance this year has opened real questions.
The stock is down. Sales have weakened. Public trust in long term planning is thin. A transition, even a hypothetical 1, feels more real than ever. I want to say thank you so much for tuning into the show today. I really. Do appreciate your support. If you could take a second and hit the subscribe or the follow button on whatever podcast platform that you're listening on right now, I greatly appreciate it. It helps out the show tremendously. And you'll.
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