Ever since Elon Musk effectively took over electric vehicle and battery manufacturer Tesla Inc (NASDAQ: TSLA) in 2006, the company has been synonymous with its eccentric CEO.
Musk's tenure at Tesla has been one of the most consequential in American history. Tesla's success in pioneering battery technology and mainstreaming electric vehicles propelled Musk to become the wealthiest person in the world.
However, Musk's political journey from an avid environmentalist and space enthusiast into the Twitter-buying, chainsaw-wielding, Donald Trump-aligned head of the 'Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)' has been an equally groundbreaking trajectory.
Until recently, Musk stepping down as head of Tesla would have been unthinkable – certainly unpalatable for investors.
But perhaps not anymore.
According to reporting from The Wall Street Journal, members of Tesla's board were approaching "several" executive search firms about a month ago in order to find a potential successor to Elon Musk. The report also alleges that the board met with Musk and requested that he make a public commitment to spend more time at the company, given his public role in the Trump Administration.
Musk did tell investors that he would be pulling back from his DOGE duties and would be dedicating more time to Tesla and his other companies, like SpaceX, last month, so there is a possibility this is accurate.
But if Tesla's board indeed put feelers out regarding a potential successor to Musk, what would this mean for the company's future?
A post-Musk Tesla: Is there a search for a successor?
There are both positive and negative arguments that could apply to a post-Musk Tesla.
On one hand, and as we noted above, Musk is single-handedly responsible for turning Tesla from an unprofitable start-up to a multi-trillion global behemoth and one of the largest companies in the world. The company's success in the automotive space is a remarkable feat, given the difficulties in scaling a capital-intensive business this effectively.
Musk has also spearheaded many technological advancements at Tesla. His background in physics enabled him to lead the company's pioneering R&D department with fervour, and he was arguably responsible for Tesla's technological edge over its competitors for many years. Musk's personal gravitas was also instrumental in Tesla obtaining funding to finance its explosive expansion over the years.
With such a totemic figurehead, many Tesla investors would struggle to maintain faith in the company without Musk at the helm.
However, that isn't to say there aren't those calling for Musk to step away from Tesla.
A controversy magnet
Musk's increasingly outspoken political views have alienated many customers over the past year, in particular. Musk has been a vocal supporter and financier of Donald Trump's election campaign, which resulted in his prominent role at DOGE following the election. He has also made a series of inflammatory statements and actions, including an infamous 'Roman salute'.
These have been attributed to a sharp decline in Tesla sales since 2023. Last month, my Fool colleague Laura reported that new Tesla car sales had plunged 45% in Europe. Many investors fear that the Tesla brand has been irreparably damaged, with protests and vandalism now a common occurrence at vehicles and dealerships.
Last month, we also discussed the views of prominent Wall Street Tesla bull Dan Ives. Ives stated that "Musk-created brand crisis + Trump tariffs = perfect storm for Tesla" and that:
Tesla has essentially become a political symbol globally, and that is a very bad thing for the future of this disruptive tech stalwart and the brand crisis tornado that has now turned into an F5 tornado… We now estimate Tesla has lost/destroyed at least 10% of its future customer base globally based on self-created brand issues.
So it's understandable that Tesla's board is worried. Whether or not they are truly on the hunt for a successor to Musk remains to be seen. Musk remains a major shareholder, so ousting him against his will would be a difficult task. It's fair to say there's no easy solution to this mess.
