Elon Musk's Tesla Optimus Robot Program Head Milan Kovac Steps Down

Milan Kovac, the head of Tesla Inc.'s TSLA Optimus humanoid robot program, has announced his resignation. Kovac, who has been instrumental in leading the initiative since 2022, cited family commitments as the reason for his departure.

His announcement was made on X on Friday.

What Happened: Kovac announced his exit from the company on a post on X on Friday.

Kovac, who became vice president of the Optimus program in September last year, stated, “I’ve been far away from home for too long, and will need to spend more time with family abroad. I want to make it clear that this is the only reason.”

According to a report by Bloomberg, Ashok Elluswamy, who currently leads Tesla’s autopilot teams, will take over Kovac’s responsibilities.

Elon Musk had previously indicated plans to produce thousands of Optimus robots this year, despite challenges such as China’s export restrictions on rare-earth magnets.

The company is prioritizing the launch of these robots and its robotaxi service, which are crucial to Tesla’s future valuation. Musk emphasized to CNBC, “The only things that matter in the long term are autonomy and Optimus.”

Why It Matters: The departure of Kovac comes at a critical time for Tesla’s Optimus project. The company has been making significant strides in humanoid robotics, with Elon Musk revealing that the Optimus robot is developing the ability to learn tasks by watching videos, similar to human learning patterns.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang recently stated that Tesla’s Optimus could be the first humanoid robot to achieve mass adoption, potentially triggering a multi-trillion-dollar industry. However, the project faces challenges, including supply chain constraints and China’s new export restrictions on rare earth materials, as highlighted by Musk during Tesla’s first-quarter earnings call.

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