Tesla Chair Refutes Report Detailing Plans For Elon Musk’s Replacement

Tesla chair Robyn Denholm took to X on Thursday to deny a Wall Street Journal report alleging the company began “looking for Musk’s successor” last month amid scrutiny over his new role in U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration.

Tesla Chair Denies WSJ Report

“Earlier today, there was a media report erroneously claiming that the Tesla Board had contacted recruitment firms to initiate a CEO search at the company,” Denholm said. “This is absolutely false (and this was communicated to the media before the report was published).”

Earlier today, there was a media report erroneously claiming that the Tesla Board had contacted recruitment firms to initiate a CEO search at the company.

This is absolutely false (and this was communicated to the media before the report was published).

The CEO of Tesla is…

— Tesla (@Tesla) May 1, 2025

“The CEO of Tesla is Elon Musk, and the Board is highly confident in his ability to continue executing on the exciting growth plan ahead,” she added.

Musk also took to X to deny the Wall Street Journal’s claim, calling the report an “extremely bad breach of ethics” and a “deliberately false article.”

Elon Musk Addresses Tesla Scrutiny

The SpaceX CEO has faced backlash for serving as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), with several politically motivated attacks against Tesla vehicles, dealerships, and charging stations taking place across the U.S. in recent months.

The electric vehicle maker saw a dismal 2025 Q1 report last month, with the organization’s net profits plunging by over 71%.

Speaking at a town hall in Wisconsin in March, the longtime crypto investor briefly addressed the criticism of his company.

“My Tesla stock, and the stock of everyone who owns Tesla, has roughly halved,” he said at the event hosted by his crypto-friendly America PAC. “I mean, it’s a big deal.”

Founded in 1889, the Wall Street Journal is the largest-circulation newspaper in the U.S., often featuring center-right views.

Trump and his far-right affiliates have long voiced their distrust of certain media outlets, frequently referring to articles they disagree with as “fake news.”

“WSJ is a discredit to journalism,” Musk said in a May 1 X post.