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Tesla Board's Search for Elon Musk's Successor Draws His Anger: 'Major Betrayal' or 'Extremely Bad Breach'

Tesla's board reportedly triggered Elon Musk's ire for collaborating with executive search firms, supposedly in search of a replacement for him.

Tesla Board's Search for Elon Musk's Successor Draws His Anger: 'Major Betrayal' or 'Extremely Bad Breach'

Sparky's Take:

Elon Musk Goes Off on The Wall Street Journal Over False Succession Claims

Elon Musk, the badass boss of Tesla, went ballistic on the Wall Street Journal this week after they published a piece implying his board was on the hunt for his replacement. Musk didn't mince words, calling the article a "deliberately false piece of crap" and accusing the paper of a "disgusting breach of ethics."

Taking to his beloved X (formerly Twitter) platform, Musk fired off a scathing tweet, blasting: "It's a FU**ING BAD MOVE by the @WSJ to slap together a bullshit article spinning lies and FAIL to include an unequivocal denial from the Tesla board of directors BEFOREHAND!"

The Tesla board, led by chair Robyn Denholm, quickly quashed the rumors, calling the report "absolutely false." Denholm emphasized the board's full confidence in Musk to lead Tesla's thrilling growth trajectory.

So, what sparked this conspiracy theory? The WSJ, using anonymous sources, reported that board members reached out to executive search firms a month ago to find Musk's successor. The alleged move comes amid investor concerns about Musk's time management and his increased involvement in government-related engagements.

But here's where things get twisty - some board members also reportedly prodded Musk to step up his game at the company. Musk, it seems, didn't exactly throw a hissy fit over this suggestion, but it's unclear how far the succession planning has progressed according to the report.

It looks like Tesla's had a rough ride so far this year, with slumping EV demand, boycotts due to Musk's politics, and pressure from the U.S.-China trade war. And if you're thinking, "Well, Musk's got a lot on his plate," you're right. But not too long ago, Musk earned a public shout-out from former President Trump for his cost-cutting government initiatives.

  • Wall Street Journal
  • Elon Musk
  • Tesla
  • U.S. Government
  • Donald Trump

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Enrichment Data:Tesla faced several challenges in 2025, including declining financial performance, slumping EV demand, sales boycotts tied to Musk's political affiliations, and pressure from the U.S.-China trade war[1]. The WSJ report suggests that the board started the succession process due to these challenges and Musk's increased philandering with government activities[1]. But, it remains uncertain whether Musk was aware of the CEO search or whether his recent commitment to dedicate more time to Tesla influenced the succession planning[1].

  1. The Wall Street Journal has allegedly reported that Tesla's board members started the succession process for Elon Musk due to certain challenges faced by the company, such as declining financial performance and slumping EV demand.
  2. The report further suggests that Musk's increased involvement in government-related engagements could be a reason behind this decision.
  3. In response to the report, Elon Musk published a scathing tweet, accusing the Wall Street Journal of slapping together a bullshit article spinning lies and FAILing to include an unequivocal denial from the Tesla board of directors BEFOREHAND.
  4. The board, led by chair Robyn Denholm, quickly quashed the rumors, calling the report "absolutely false."
  5. Despite these denials, some board members reportedly prodded Musk to step up his game at the company. It remains unclear how far the succession planning has progressed according to the report.
  6. Interestingly, Elon Musk recently earned a public shout-out from former President Trump for his cost-cutting government initiatives.
Tesla's board reportedly drew the ire of Elon Musk after they allegedly consulted executive search firms in search of a potential successor, a claim contested by Musk himself in response to a Wall Street Journal article.

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