Elon Musk has reaffirmed his commitment to remain Tesla’s chief executive for at least the next five years, dismissing concerns about waning demand and speculation over his potential departure from the electric vehicle giant.
Speaking at the Qatar Economic Forum, Musk insisted that Tesla was not experiencing a demand problem, despite recent sales drops in key markets and negative headlines. “Our stock wouldn’t be trading near all-time highs if things weren’t in good shape,” he said. “They’re fine. Don’t worry about it.”
The comments come in the wake of a report by The Wall Street Journal suggesting Tesla’s board had initiated a search for Musk’s successor, amid investor concerns over his divided focus — particularly his involvement with the Department for Government Efficiency (Doge). Musk previously told shareholders he would be scaling back his role at Doge to refocus on Tesla.
Robyn Denholm, Tesla’s chairwoman, swiftly denied the report, calling it “absolutely false.” In a statement, she emphasized that the board remains “highly confident in [Musk’s] ability to continue executing on the exciting growth plan ahead.”
Musk, 53, added further clarity on Tuesday when asked about his long-term plans. “Yes,” he said firmly, confirming he intends to remain Tesla’s CEO for the next five years — barring his death.
As reported by The Times UK, Musk acknowledged that Tesla’s weakest market currently is Europe, where sales have suffered due to increasing competition from Chinese electric vehicles and consumer backlash over his political views. European Tesla sales, including in Sweden, saw steep declines in April, with an 81 percent drop in that country alone.
Still, Musk brushed aside criticism, suggesting that his controversial public persona may be as much a draw as a deterrent. “Customers are attracted to the brand because Elon’s crazy — or however they may view it,” he quipped.
Tesla’s global sales dipped 13 percent in the first quarter of 2025, totaling 336,681 vehicles, down from 386,810 a year earlier. Declines were particularly notable in China and California — traditionally among the company’s strongest regions.
Musk also took a swipe at a Delaware chancery court judge who recently ruled against his 2018 compensation package, which had been worth tens of billions of dollars. He dismissed the judge as “an activist posing as a judge,” but added that the ruling would not influence his decision to remain at Tesla.
“The compensation should match that something incredible was done,” Musk said, doubling down on his belief that his leadership warrants the massive performance-based package.
Despite recent turbulence, Tesla remains one of the most valuable companies in the world, with a market capitalization of $1.08 trillion. Its stock has fallen nearly 9 percent since the start of the year but rose 1.3 percent to $346.42 following Musk’s statements in Qatar.
With Musk at the helm since 2008, Tesla continues to navigate an increasingly competitive EV market — all while its CEO remains one of the most polarizing and high-profile figures in global business.
