Elon Musk Says He Will Remain Tesla CEO for at Least Five More Years
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has confirmed his commitment to leading the electric vehicle company for at least the next five years, amid investor concerns about his focus and Tesla’s recent performance.
Speaking at the Bloomberg Qatar Economic Forum in Doha on Tuesday, Musk responded with an unequivocal “yes” when asked whether he would continue as Tesla’s CEO over the next half-decade. When pressed further on whether he had any doubts, he joked, “Well, I might die.”
The billionaire entrepreneur, who also heads SpaceX and other ventures, has recently faced criticism for juggling multiple responsibilities – including time spent on the White House’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiatives – while Tesla battles a downturn. The company reported a 13% drop in deliveries in the first quarter of 2025, its steepest quarterly decline to date.
However, Musk reiterated that the long-term value of Tesla rests heavily on two key projects: the company’s autonomous vehicle technology and its in-development humanoid robot, Optimus. Speaking with CNBC, he said, “Those overwhelmingly dominate the future of financial success of the company.”
Musk remains optimistic that self-driving robotaxis will be commonplace within five years – a projection he has made before without meeting past deadlines. “Obviously my predictions on this have been overly optimistic in the past,” he admitted.
Addressing his controversial compensation package – valued at $56 billion and previously blocked by a Delaware court – Musk argued it was necessary to ensure control over company decisions and prevent activist investors from pushing him out. “The compensation should match that something incredible was done,” he stated. He also criticized the court’s ruling, saying, “I’m confident that whatever some activist posing as a judge in Delaware happens to do will not affect the future compensation.”
His comments follow a recent Wall Street Journal report alleging that Tesla’s board was preparing a succession plan amid internal challenges and external pressures. Musk and Tesla’s board have strongly denied the claims. “It is an EXTREMELY BAD BREACH OF ETHICS,” Musk wrote on X, formerly Twitter, calling the report “deliberately false.” Tesla board chair Robyn Denholm also dismissed the story as “absolutely false.”
In April, Musk indicated he would step back from his role with DOGE to focus more on Tesla. While the company’s stock had slumped by as much as 45% earlier this year, shares have since rebounded and are now down just 10% year-to-date. Tesla’s stock rose 1% on Tuesday following Musk’s remarks.
