How much longer can Tesla withstand Elon Musk?

Tesla is Elon Musk, and Elon Musk is Tesla. But to what extent can the company tolerate the missteps of its iconic leader?

Elon Musk, the brilliant CEO of Tesla, is known for his visionary ideas and… his antics. Between two controversial tweets, the leader doesn’t miss an opportunity to give his opinion on a wide range of topics, like recently during a completely outlandish interview with Alice Weidel, the far-right leader of Germany, broadcast on January 9th. Musk knows better than anyone how to stay at the center of attention. But how far can Tesla go in tolerating the eccentricities of its emblematic boss? Salutes with Nazi overtones performed live during Donald Trump’s inauguration ceremony would be the last straw for anyone else, but for Musk, it’s just another drop in an ocean of controversies.

So, can Musk legally be fired from Tesla? Technically, yes. The board of directors and shareholders could vote to replace him. But Musk owns about 20% of the shares and has considerable support among other shareholders, giving him significant voting power. It would require an overwhelming majority to oust him, but there’s a risk that the process could backfire on his instigators—if the voting majority strongly supports Trump, they could find themselves silenced permanently.

The question isn’t just whether Musk can be fired, but rather what could push Tesla to consider this radical option with confidence that it will succeed. So far, his eccentricities seem to align with the company’s success, but certain elements could change the game.

Plummeting performance: If Tesla’s sales were to decline significantly due to a misstep by Musk, the issue of his leadership could become urgent. Currently, customers simply stick anti-Trump stickers on their new Teslas.

The last scandal: Musk is accustomed to controversy, but a major scandal directly affecting the Tesla brand could erode the patience of the board. His reaction to the controversy over the alleged Nazi salutes will be particularly interesting in this regard.

A credible replacement: So far, no candidate has emerged as a clear alternative. But if a charismatic and competent figure appeared, the question of replacement might arise. We once thought that the genius and charismatic Steve Jobs was irreplaceable at Apple, but the discreet and composed Tim Cook proved otherwise—that no one is irreplaceable.

But ultimately, would Tesla have the same promising future without Musk? Possibly fewer controversies, but maybe also less unpredictable genius. Without Musk, the entire Tesla universe would be forced to redefine its identity. For now, the “Chief Twit” remains firmly in place. But with Musk, anything is possible—including the impossible… and that’s what makes this story so intriguing.

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