Tesla executive, Elon Musk confidant leaves EV maker, source tells Reuters

A Model X sports-utility vehicle sits outside a Tesla store in Littleton, Colo., June 18, 2023. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Tesla executive and a confidant of CEO Elon Musk, Omead Afshar, has left the company, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Afshar, who was part of the CEO’s office at Tesla, had started overseeing sales and manufacturing operations in Europe and North America last year.

Demand has tumbled, especially in Europe and North America, for the company’s aging line-up of vehicles as Musk embraced right-wing politics and amid heightened competition from Chinese rivals.

Last year, Tesla underwent a sweeping leadership shakeup as Musk’s efforts to trim costs and pivot strategy to focus on self-driving technology and robotics led a wave of executive departures.

Several top executives left Tesla amid restructuring and layoffs, including CFO Zach Kirkhorn, chief battery engineer Drew Baglino, and Rebecca Tinucci, who led the Supercharging division.

Separately, Jenna Ferrua, who headed human resources operations in Austin, has also quit, according to media reports.

Tesla and Musk did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment, while emails to Afshar were not delivered.

Reporting by Akash Sriram in Bengaluru and Alexandra Ulmer in Washington; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli, Reuters