Yet another high-level Tesla employee has departed the company, blasting Elon Musk, the company's polarizing CEO, on his way out the door.
"The main reason I'm leaving is that I think Elon has dealt huge damage to Tesla's mission (and to the health of democratic institutions in several countries)," Giorgio Balestrieri, who joined Tesla in 2017, wrote on LinkedIn, according to Business Insider. "Elon's leadership and decision-making seem seriously compromised."
What's happening?
Over the past year, Musk has faced numerous controversies, from accusations that his leadership of multiple companies has left him distracted to his highly divisive foray into politics.
In the process, Tesla has seen its sales and market share drop considerably as other EV makers have closed in on its status as the No. 1 seller of electric vehicles in the United States.
A number of long-term Tesla employees have left the company, with several being vocal about Musk being the primary reason behind their departures.
Count Giorgio Balestrieri among them.
"This is not about politics: It's about lying to the public, manipulating public discourse, targeting minorities, and supporting climate change deniers and political forces aligned with the oil-and-gas industry," he said, according to Business Insider, adding that Musk's leadership and massive financial stake in the company left him wondering if Tesla was "the right place to be."
In June, Trae Cervantes, who had worked at Tesla for seven years, also quit the company, citing Musk as his reason for leaving.
"When Musk started throwing his money around in politics — that was a big thing for me," Cervantes wrote in an essay that Business Insider published in June. "What I took issue with the most was the giveaway for prospective voters. It seemed so morally wrong. I didn't want to be associated with that."
Musk also has been facing legal action over his promise of a supposedly random lottery that would award $1 million per day to an individual from key battleground states in exchange for signing a political petition. A Musk lawyer later argued in court that the supposed lottery was not random at all, which experts have said was against the law.
TCD Picks » Stasher Spotlight
💡Stasher's reusable food storage options make it easy and affordable to live life with less plastic
|
Would you trust a home made of previously used concrete? Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Definitely 👍 Despite the strong misgivings of a number of now-former employees, some Tesla investors, and a segment of the public, Tesla's board of directors, which has been criticized for its alleged fealty to Musk, has offered the embattled CEO what would be a record-breaking $1 trillion compensation package.
Tesla shareholders will vote on that package in November, according to Business Insider.
Why is it important?
Despite sagging sales, Tesla has remained the largest seller of electric vehicles in the U.S. by a relatively wide margin. However, perception of Musk has significantly impacted sales in the U.S. and abroad, particularly in Europe.
In the process, Musk might have slowed the transition away from dirtier, gas-powered vehicles and toward the cleaner EVs that he once helped usher into the mainstream.
Additionally, as both Balestrieri and Cervantes pointed out, Musk has spent hundreds of millions of dollars of his own fortune supporting political parties and candidates with close ties to the oil-and-gas industry, something that would appear to be at odds with Tesla's mission of transitioning to a cleaner-energy economy by selling EVs and home battery systems.
"When I met with my supervisor and put in my notice, I told him, 'I have to leave. I can't do this anymore. It's getting to the point where I feel like I'm compromising myself morally by walking through those doors every day,'" Cervantes wrote in Business Insider.
What's being done about it?
Regardless of what their opinion of Musk may be, consumers in the U.S. and elsewhere have a much broader selection of electric vehicles to choose from than they did when Tesla released its first car, the all-electric Roadster, in 2008.
While Tesla helped popularize EVs, companies such as Hyundai and General Motors recently have gained significant ground, offering full lineups of EVs ranging from small, sporty coupes to do-it-all pickup trucks. This means that would-be EV buyers who associate the Tesla brand with Musk's politics and prefer to support other companies now have plenty of alternative options.
In November, Tesla shareholders will have an opportunity to make their voices heard when they vote on Musk's new pay package.
Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
