The chairman of the electric car manufacturer Tesla Inc., Robyn Denholm, has refuted reports regarding the board’s purported search for a successor to current CEO Elon Musk.
Denholm stated that the board has “full confidence” in Musk’s leadership abilities. Musk has been serving as a key advisor for federal government reform initiatives since the inauguration of President Trump.
On Thursday, Denholm took to the social media platform X to address the issue, stating, “Earlier today, a media report inaccurately claimed that Tesla’s board had contacted headhunters to start looking for a (successor) CEO, which is completely false (we had clarified this with the media before the report was published).”
Denholm emphasized, “This is entirely false news. Tesla’s CEO is Elon Musk, and the board has full confidence in his ability to continue driving the exciting growth plans.”
Denholm’s response was made in reaction to a report by The Wall Street Journal, which suggested that due to concerns about Musk’s time spent in Washington, the board had contacted headhunters to find a successor for him.
At the end of April, Musk announced plans to “significantly reduce” his involvement in the Trump administration’s “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) starting from next month, in order to devote more time to the operations of his companies, especially Tesla, which is facing sales and profit pressures.
DOGE was established by President Trump in January through an executive order, aimed at reducing wasteful government spending.
However, while Musk’s significant reduction plan has garnered support from many, it has also sparked intense backlash. It has led to protests and vandalism at numerous Tesla stores and charging stations across the US, with incidents of arson and several suspects facing federal charges.
Furthermore, during Wednesday’s cabinet meeting on April 30, Musk also signaled his farewell to attendees.
Musk has been leading the Department of Government Efficiency as a “special government employee” with a term limit of 130 days, meaning his tenure began on January 20 and will end at the close of May.
During the cabinet meeting, Trump made remarks to Musk and the attendees saying, “You know, you can stay (at DOGE) as long as you want. But I guess at some point, you definitely want to go back to do his cars (referring to returning to work at Tesla).”