Since Elon Musk took over Twitter, there have been a few disgruntled voices raising their concerns about his availability as Tesla’s CEO.
The most prominent is Tesla’s third largest shareholder KoGuan Leo who feels that Tesla could do with a more accessible and hands-on CEO. Leo has 22 million shares in Tesla, currently worth $3.57 billion, and his concerns carry a lot of weight.
This development begs the question: Should Tesla have a new CEO?
Impact of Elon Musk Twitter Takeover on Tesla
Investors feel Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover has seen him abandon the Tesla ship.
Here’s what KoGuan Leo said on Twitter:
KoGuan Leo’s main concern is that Musk is leaving too little time for Tesla due to his commitments on Twitter. And he has a vision of his own, something that won’t happen for the first time either.
He’s convinced Tesla needs a new CEO. Someone like Tim Cook. Someone who isn’t a celebrity and works for the company(like any employee does).
That said, Tesla shares are down 22% with Musk selling $22.9 billion worth of Tesla stock when he revealed his plans to buy Twitter in the spring.
KoGuan Leo still feels that Tesla has the potential to be the biggest company with or without the involvement of Musk. In fact, he believes there is plenty of room for growth with a more laser-focused CEO.
Who Will Succeed Elon Musk If He Resigns?
Elon Musk may have a pretty good idea about the identity of his successor. He may even have a ‘corporate will’ with his successor stashed somewhere should anything happen to him.
However, the person most likely to assume the role of CEO is JB Straubel. He is part of the founding team and currently holds the prestigious position of Chief Technical Officer.
He fully embodies the Elon Musk vision and is a big man in the company already. With his mastery of the technologies upon which Tesla is based, he would certainly be a great choice.
Companies in the Past That Have Succeeded Despite Founders Leaving
If Elon Musk was to leave Tesla, it wouldn’t be the first time a CEO has left a company he founded.
Steve Jobs and Bill Gates for Apple and Microsoft respectively already left their posts as CEOs, but that did not negatively affect the success of those companies in the long term.
At the time of his departure, Bill Gates left Microsoft as one of the most profitable and valuable companies. The company, just like Apple, continues to be a leader in its industry.
