Ross Gerber, a longtime Tesla investor, has publicly called for Elon Musk to step down as CEO, arguing the billionaire’s divided attention – particularly his White House role – is driving the company into crisis.
“There’s no question [Musk] has been committed to his job at the government, that’s where he’s spending his time. He is not running Tesla,” Gerber, CEO of Gerber Kawasaki Wealth Management, told Sky News. “I think Tesla needs a new CEO. The business has been neglected for too long.”
For over a decade, Gerber Kawasaki has backed Tesla under Musk’s leadership. While not among Tesla’s largest stakeholders – it holds 262,352 shares as of February 2025 – the firm has been steadily reducing its Tesla holdings since 2023. Ross Gerber, a vocal advocate for change within the company’s board, has grown increasingly critical of Musk, particularly since his involvement with the White House.
“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 the outlet.
As Tesla stocks continue to slide – down 5 per cent in the past five days and more than 50 per cent from its December peak – Gerber insists that leadership change is necessary.
He further argued that Musk’s involvement with Twitter (now X) diverted his focus and brought negative publicity to Tesla. “The company’s reputation has just been destroyed by Elon Musk,” 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.”
The controversy surrounding Musk is also fueling a consumer backlash. Recently, French entrepreneur Romain Roy, who had used Tesla electric vehicles (EVs) for his company, cancelled a deal to protest against US policies and Elon Musk. Upset with Musk’s statements and US environmental policies, Roy cancelled an order of 15 Teslas and chose European brands instead.
Tesla is also facing protests and vandalism at its dealerships. Earlier this month, shots were fired at a Tesla showroom in Oregon, while in Boston, a fire was set at the company’s charging stations. Authorities also arrested protesters for violent demonstrations outside a Tesla dealership in Lower Manhattan.
A report revealed that Tesla sales in Germany, Europe’s biggest EV market, dropped 76 per cent in February compared to the previous year.
