ile Elon Musk needs to resign as Tesla’s CEO or quit his other positions, according to Tesla investor Ross Gerber. This came following a drop of 36% in Tesla shares in the initial quarter of 2025. This became the steepest decline since 2022 and the third-biggest ever in a quarter.
Investor Ross Gerber Calls for Leadership Change
In an interview, Gerber, who heads Gerber Kawasaki Wealth Management, said Musk is clearly dedicated to his DOGE position in the government. Saying he is spending most of his time with Trump’s administration instead of operating Tesla, he claimed,
“I think Tesla needs a new CEO. The business has been neglected for too long.”
Concerns Over Divided Attention of Elon Musk
Ross Gerber, an ardent advocate of change on the company’s board, has become more critical of Musk since he took charge of DOGE.
“There are too many important things Tesla is doing, so either Elon should come back to Tesla and be the CEO of Tesla and give up his other jobs or he should focus on the government and keep doing what he is doing but find a suitable CEO of Tesla,” he told.
According to him, Musk’s focus has been diverted due to his engagement with X, causing a lot of damage to Tesla’s reputation. Reacting to the current state of Tesla, he said, “Sales are plummeting, so yeah, it’s a crisis. You literally can’t sell the best product in the marketplace because the CEO is so divisive.”
Backlash from Tesla Customers
Romain Roy, a French entrepreneur who had previously utilized Tesla EVs for his company, recently canceled an order in protest against Musk and US policies. Roy canceled an order of fifteen Teslas and switched to European brands.
Elon Musk to be Replaced by Tom Zhu?
In the midst of calls for Musk’s resignation, one name that has received a lot of attention is Tom Zhu, the President of Tesla China.
Based on reports, Zhu is a great fit to replace Musk because of his sterling record and extensive understanding of Tesla’s operations.
Tom Zhu’s Background and Achievements
Zhu, who is from China, studied in the US and New Zealand. He got an MBA from Duke University. In 2014, Zhu began his career as Tesla’s Director of Expansion in China. During his tenure he showed instantly that he had the ability to manage big projects and drive development.
In 2019, Zhu was promoted to the role of Vice President of Greater China. As Vice President he played a key role in the rapid development of Tesla’s Shanghai Gigafactory. The Project which finished in tenth months time.
While in 2022, he became President of Tesla China. During his reign as President he lead the firm’s operations in the largest EV market in the world.
He took on a more prominent role globally in 2013. Where he started overseeing Tesla’s assembly plants and sales activities in America and acting on behalf of Elon when he is away.
At the same time, Tesla is facing vandalism and protests at its stores. Tesla’s charging stations in Boston were lit on fire on an earlier occasion in March. Protesters who conducted violent protests in front of a Tesla showroom in Lower Manhattan were arrested.
