Tesla denies Musk succession plans amid leadership scrutiny
Tesla chair Robyn Denholm has rejected claims that the company is searching for a replacement for Elon Musk, following reports that the CEO’s attention has shifted toward supporting Donald Trump while the carmaker’s profits have declined.
In a statement posted on X—Musk’s own social media platform—Denholm said Tesla remains “highly confident in his ability to continue executing on the exciting growth plan ahead” and dismissed reports of succession planning as “erroneous.”
Tesla rebuffs CEO succession claims, but questions remain
Tesla chair Robyn Denholm has denied reports that the company is seeking a successor to Elon Musk, following speculation that his growing involvement in political activities has distracted from his leadership of the carmaker.
The denial came in response to a Wall Street Journal report claiming that “board members reached out to several executive search firms to work on a formal process for finding Tesla’s next chief executive,” citing sources familiar with the matter. According to the report, the outreach occurred about a month ago amid political uncertainty in Washington.
Denholm issued a statement on X, the platform owned by Musk, calling the report “erroneous” and stating it was “absolutely false” that the Tesla board had contacted recruitment firms. However, the Journal’s wording pointed to individual board members—not the board as a collective—having made the approach, revealing a subtle but potentially significant discrepancy between the two accounts.
The speculation comes as Tesla faces mounting challenges, including a 9% drop in sales in the first quarter of 2025. Musk recently announced he would scale back his role in the so-called Department of Government Efficiency to refocus on Tesla.
