What simply occurred? What’s a CEO to do when an organization’s gross sales proceed to fall? When you’re Elon Musk, the reply is to fireside your vp of producing and operations in North America and Europe. Omead Afshar was promoted to the function in 2024, having joined the corporate in 2017 and spending years working in “the workplace of the CEO.”
After Bloomberg reported that Afshar had left the EV large, Forbes wrote that he had been fired by Musk. The billionaire had beforehand praised Afshar for main development of the Texas gigafactory.
Afshar’s X profile nonetheless hyperlinks him to Tesla. His most up-to-date posts, made a number of days in the past, are in regards to the “historic” launch of the Tesla robotaxis.
In solely a pair days of using… https://t.co/bprXntmrdy
– Omead Afshar (@omead) June 24, 2025
Afshar was the topic of an inner probe in 2022 over allegations that he was concerned in a plan to buy a particular sort of materials for a Tesla’s secret Mission 42, which known as for a glass construction Musk needed within the Austin, Texas, space.
Following the probe, Afshar had stints at SpaceX and reportedly at X earlier than returning to Tesla. Musk gave him the VP function on the firm in late 2024.
Tesla has struggled like by no means earlier than lately. Promoting fewer vehicles in 2024 than in 2023 marked its first annual fall in additional than a decade. In Europe, gross sales have dropped for a fifth consecutive month; US gross sales are additionally down this 12 months; and Tesla’s high market of China noticed gross sales decline 15% in Might.
Musk is perhaps blaming the fallacious particular person for Tesla’s failing fortunes. It is no secret that his political actions and (former) closeness to Donald Trump impacted the corporate’s gross sales, particularly in Europe. There have been a number of protests in opposition to the auto large, together with a Tesla dealership in Rome being set on fireplace on March 31, destroying 17 vehicles.
Musk’s temporary, very public falling out with Trump earlier this month did not do his firms any favors. The president threatened to terminate Musk’s governmental subsidies and contracts, crashing Tesla’s share worth by 14% and wiping round $152 billion off its valuation.
Earlier this month, Milan Kovac, who had been head of Tesla’s Optimus humanoid robotic staff, left the corporate. Bloomberg Information additionally reported that Jenna Ferrua, Tesla’s director of HR for North America, is not with the agency both.
