Elon Can’t Save Tesla By Leaving Washington

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Final Up to date on: twenty fifth April 2025, 09:21 pm

With Tesla’s disastrous quarterly outcomes, it’s fairly clear that the corporate is definitely in bother. Regardless of years of poor product selections (the Cybertruck is stacking up on Tesla property attributable to lack of consumers—one thing we warned you about in 2019), the corporate’s good selections on issues like powertrains, dependable charging, and dependable software program saved the corporate going.

However, the corporate’s strengths may solely compensate for a lot. It seems that having the corporate’s most public face go all in on America’s political and cultural warfare had predictable outcomes. The Tesla model went from a superb environmental alternative that got here with efficiency benefits and tech enjoyable to at least one that makes your neighbors wonder if you assume a few of them belong in a Central American gulag.

In response to the corporate being self-decimated a number of instances over, and disastrous quarterly numbers coming in, Elon Musk now says he’s going to spend much less time in Washington, DC, and extra time specializing in Tesla.

However there’s one little downside: that’s not going to assist. In any respect.

You must giggle at Elon as he thinks leaving Washington will reverse the 71% inventory drop. Naw Massive E. We hate you for LIFE now.

— Uncle Bob (@djjimmydee.bsky.social) 2025-04-22T23:44:42.991Z

Whereas the above is only a submit from one man, you could find 1000’s of others prefer it.

The issue isn’t that Elon Musk did not micromanage Tesla staff sufficiently. The issue is that his personal private status was tied to the corporate’s. When he dirty his personal status by dragging it by means of far proper mud, he took Tesla alongside for the experience. The issue isn’t that Tesla must be nearer to Elon Musk; it’s that Tesla wants far from the man.

The issue additionally wasn’t that Elon Musk quickly modified his status in late 2024 by going all-in for Trump. He’s been getting in mattress with far proper causes since no less than 2020, if not earlier in much less public methods. Spending much less and even zero time operating a faux authorities company received’t immediately clear up Musk’s status. To regain broad belief and appreciation among the many public would require a honest apology adopted by years of labor cleansing up after himself.

Backing off on Trump help may make for some small enhancements, however to save lots of the corporate, Elon Musk is de facto solely left with one alternative: leaving it. He would want to sever almost all ties with it by resigning from his “Technoking” place, calling for a brand new board to be elected that aren’t his puppets, and promoting extra of the inventory. A brand new, unbiased Tesla may salvage the corporate and get it again on monitor.

Nevertheless, my opinion is that this can run into the most important stumbling block of all: one man’s ego. An unbiased Tesla would discontinue the Cybertruck program and promote remaining inventory at a reduction to clear it out. The brand new Tesla would additionally reverse controversial selections like eradicating flip sign stalks, producing overly minimalist interiors, and utilizing janky solid metals for car sub-frames. All of those strikes would make the corporate higher whereas proving Elon Musk improper, and that may damage an excessive amount of.

The Actual Downside: A Sensible Child Who By no means Grew Up

In the end, that’s the core downside. A man who was advised he was good as a child constructed his entire identification round being proper and having it simple. Most good youngsters undergo some exhausting instances as younger adults the place they study that they will’t at all times be proper and have to put actual soul-crushing effort in, however Musk managed to accrue fortunes earlier than that might occur to him.

Now, as a substitute of valuing variety of thought and the intelligence of others, he surrounds himself with sure males and picks simple political ideologies that demand nothing however the best pores and skin coloration and sexual orientation. He’s capable of hold being the good child who can do no improper by merely constructing a false actuality round himself, spared no expense.

There’s nonetheless time for Elon Musk to spend the remaining years of his life studying to work together higher with different people, however it’s too late for him to save lots of Tesla with out distancing himself from the corporate whereas he works out these private issues.