Tesla chairwoman Robyn Denholm denied a report that the electric vehicle company’s board was seeking a replacement for CEO Elon Musk after he took on an extensive role in the Trump administration.
The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday that the Tesla board opened a search for a new CEO as Musk worked closely with the White House on its Department of Government Efficiency efforts. Musk said at a Tesla earnings call last month that he would spend significantly more time at Tesla and wind down his work with DOGE. That timing coincides with when the inquiry allegedly began, and when board members reportedly told Musk, without objection, he needed to spend more time at Tesla.
Denholm responded to the report in a statement posted by the company on X, calling it “absolutely false” and claiming the company told the outlet that before it ran the story.
Earlier today, there was a media report erroneously claiming that the Tesla Board had contacted recruitment firms to initiate a CEO search at the company.
This is absolutely false (and this was communicated to the media before the report was published).
The CEO of Tesla is…
— Tesla (@Tesla) May 1, 2025
“Earlier today, there was a media report erroneously claiming that the Tesla Board had contacted recruitment firms to initiate a CEO search at the company. This is absolutely false (and this was communicated to the media before the report was published). The CEO of Tesla is Elon Musk and the Board is highly confident in his ability to continue executing on the exciting growth plan ahead,” Tesla’s X account said.
Musk responded to the report on X by slamming the Wall Street Journal for running the story, calling it “an EXTREMELY BAD BREACH OF ETHICS.”
“It is an EXTREMELY BAD BREACH OF ETHICS that the @WSJ would publish a DELIBERATELY FALSE ARTICLE and fail to include an unequivocal denial beforehand by the Tesla board of directors!” Musk said.
ELON MUSK ADMITS DOGE ‘NOT AS EFFECTIVE AS I LIKE’
The Tesla CEO and de facto head of DOGE admitted in a discussion with reporters Wednesday that DOGE had not been as effective as he hoped, but maintained the initiative has been fruitful. He also said that DOGE would continue even as he returns to Tesla and his other full-time business endeavors.
Since Musk took on the work in the White House, Tesla’s stock price has tanked, and the company has been the victim of widespread protests and attacks by anti-Trump and anti-DOGE forces.