One of Tesla’s earliest investors has told Sky News Elon Musk should step aside as its chief executive unless he gives up his new government job.
Ross Gerber said in an interview with Sky’s Business Live that the tycoon and adviser to Donald Trump had lost his focus given his widening interests.
They include his role at the helm of the Trump administration’s new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) which has attracted public anger over planned swingeing cuts to federal government staff.
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Mr Gerber said: “I think Tesla needs a new CEO and I decided today I was going to start saying it and so this is the first show that I’m saying it on.
“It’s time for somebody to run Tesla. The business has been neglected for too long. There are too many important things Tesla is doing, so either Elon should come back to Tesla and be the CEO of Tesla and give up his other jobs or he should focus on the government and keep doing what he is doing but find a suitable CEO of Tesla.”
Mr Gerber told presenter Darren McCaffrey that the business was in “crisis” and the appointment was among several reasons he had sold off a substantial number of shares in recent months.
A slump began shortly after Mr Trump took office, as the first salvoes of the president’s trade war were fired at Canada, Mexico and China.
Tesla’s market value has plunged by $800bn since December.
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