A Tesla executive quits on Elon Musk, saying it's 'hard to see the long game' as layoffs crush morale

🌈 Abstract

The article discusses the recent wave of job cuts at Tesla, the American electric vehicle maker, and the concerns raised by a departing executive about the "long game" behind these cuts.

🙋 Q&A

[01] Tesla's Job Cuts

1. What are the key details about the job cuts at Tesla?

• Tesla has been cutting staff across its California and Texas hubs, including the teams behind the Supercharger network and even interns.
• The recent layoffs have had wide-reaching effects, including impacting morale and the company's share price.
• A departing executive, Rich Otto, who worked in Tesla's vehicle-engineering, creative, and content teams, criticized the job cuts, saying they have "thrown this harmony out of balance" and questioned the "long game" behind Elon Musk's decisions.

2. What other issues is Tesla facing besides the job cuts?

• The rollout of Tesla's flagship Cybertruck electric pickup has been marred by high-profile manufacturing and quality issues, including problems with the accelerator pedals.
• Tesla is also facing an investigation from the U.S. government over its handling of a recall relating to its Autopilot and Full Self-Driving software.

3. How has the job cuts and other issues impacted Tesla's stock price?

• Tesla's share price has been declining, down 0.6% at $173.75 following the news of the layoffs, and down 1.7% on the previous day.

[02] Elon Musk's Leadership

1. What concerns did the departing executive raise about Elon Musk's leadership?

• The departing executive, Rich Otto, questioned the "long game" behind Elon Musk's decisions to cut staff, saying it has "thrown this harmony out of balance" at the company.