Tesla boss Elon Musk has reportedly fired longtime “fixer” Omead Afshar, the head of the company’s North American and Europe operations, after a prolonged sales slump in the key regions.
Afshar was long considered one of Tesla’s most powerful executives and had been promoted to oversee sales and manufacturing in the two regions last year. Forbes was first to report on the firing, citing people familiar with the matter.
Tesla did not immediately return The Post’s request for comment. Musk, who frequently provides business updates on his X account, has yet to address Afshar’s status.
The exact timing of Afshar’s exit was not immediately clear, though news of his departure has reportedly been discussed by some Tesla employees in recent days, Bloomberg reported. Afshar’s name has also been removed from an internal employee directory.
Afshar’s reported ouster is the latest sign of turmoil at Tesla, with shares down more than 13% since the start of the year. Tesla will report its second-quarter delivery numbers next week – an announcement that will be closely watched by investors.
Tesla’s sales in Europe plunged 28% in May, marking the fifth straight month of declines as Musk’s firm cedes ground to BYD and other Chinese electric car makers, according to data from the European Automobile Manufacturers Association.
As recently as Tuesday, Afshar posted on X touting progress in the performance of Tesla’s Robotaxis in Austin, Texas.
On Monday, he described the Robotaxi rollout as an “absolutely historic day for Tesla.”
“This has been *years* of hard work and focus by so many people within the company. Thank you, Elon, for pushing us all!” Afshar wrote.
A 2024 Wall Street Journal profile referred to Afshar as Musk’s “fixer” and one of the most powerful executives at Tesla. Notably, he oversaw the construction of Tesla’s massive Gigafactory in Texas. He also once ran the office of the CEO at Tesla.
Several top executives left Tesla then, amid restructuring and layoffs, including CFO Zach Kirkhorn, chief battery engineer Drew Baglino, and Rebecca Tinucci, who led the Supercharging division.
Milan Kovac, who led engineering on the company’s Optimus robot, resigned to spend more time with his family.
Separately, Jenna Ferrua, who headed human resources operations in Austin, has also quit, according to latest media reports.
Wall Street has been concerned about Tesla’s aging car lineup and increased competition abroad, while Musk’s work with President Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency contributed to a brand crisis.
Tesla backers say self-driving Robotaxis will have a transformative impact on the company’s business. For the limited rollout in Texas, Tesla placed safety officers in the front seat to monitor the vehicle’s behavior.
Despite the safety measures, some Robotaxis experienced glitches and even appeared to violate local traffic laws.
Credit: Source link
