Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to include updates from Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Chair Robyn Denholm. A response from the Wall Street Journal has also been included.
Tesla Inc.'s TSLA board reportedly began searching for a successor to Elon Musk after the company faced significant financial setbacks.
What Happened: About a month ago, the board reached out to executive search firms to formalize a process for selecting a new CEO, reported the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the discussion.
Musk, who has led Tesla for nearly two decades, was reportedly spending considerable time in Washington, D.C., assisting with the Department of Government Efficiency under President Donald Trump.
Musk did not push back, the report said, and the board told him he needed to devote more time to Tesla and publicly commit to doing so.
Following the publication of the report, Tesla's official X handle took to social media and said that the assertion that the board reached out to recruitment firms is "false."
"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," stated Tesla chairwoman Robyn Denholm.
Musk also took to X and shared Tesla's post and adding, “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!”
We stand by our reporting. Tesla was given the opportunity to provide a statement before publication, which they did not do,” a WSJ spokesperson told Benzinga in an emailed statement
Why It’s Important: Tesla reported first-quarter revenue of $19.34 billion, marking a 9% decline compared to the previous year. This figure fell short of the Street’s consensus estimate of $21.35 billion.
During the earnings call, Musk announced, "Starting probably next month, in May, my time allocation to DOGE will drop significantly."
On Wednesday, Alexandra Merz, who is one of Tesla’s shareholders, took to X, formerly Twitter, and said, Tesla filed an amendment to its annual 10-K, providing details about board and executive compensation, rather than the anticipated proxy statement with shareholder meeting dates and agendas.
This suggests a potential delay in the meeting.
In the filing, Tesla stated, “The Board of Directors has not yet established the date of the 2025 annual meeting of shareholders. When the date is established, the Company will announce it in its filings made with the SEC.”
Price Action: During Wednesday's regular session, Tesla shares fell by 3.38%, but showed a slight rebound in after-hours trading, rising by 0.13%. Year-to-date, the stock is still down 25.61%, according to Benzinga Pro.
As per Benzinga Edge Stock Rankings, Tesla currently holds a growth score of 45.33%. Click here to see how it stacks up against other companies in the sector.
Photo Courtesy: Frederic Legrand – COMEO On Shutterstock.com
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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