Yet another top executive has now departed Tesla as the company’s market standing continues to take a pounding amid its wayward CEO’s foray into far-right politics.
Troy Jones, vice president of sales for North America, has left Elon Musk’s electric vehicle manufacturer after 15 years at the company, people with knowledge of the matter told the Wall Street Journal Tuesday.
It’s already been a rough year so far for Tesla, with the group’s stock plunging by roughly 22 percent since January, and overall sales down by more than 13 percent on the same period last year.
Critics have attributed that dismal performance to Musk’s lack of stewardship, as well as his increasingly volatile and unpredictable behavior, since defecting to MAGA and taking on a short-lived role as an honorary member of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet.
Jones’ exit follows the departure of three other top executives last month—namely Musk aide Omead Afshar, former human resources director for North America, Jenna Ferrua, and Milan Kovac, vice president of engineering who had overseen the company’s AI research efforts.
It also incidentally comes hot on the heels of Linda Yaccarino’s decision to step down from her role as CEO of Musk’s social media platform, X, following a two-year tenure marred by controversies that included, most recently, the website’s AI chatbot embarking on a vitriolic anti-semitic posting spree.
Only last week, investors at Tesla were begging Musk to spent less time baiting the Trump administration online, and more time focused on the financial health of his electronic vehicle manufacturer.
“The board can’t just sit here and watch this go by without saying something and putting guardrails in,” Dan Ives, managing director of Wedbush Securities, a wealth management firm that holds shares in Tesla, said last Tuesday. “I’m hearing from many shareholders that the frustration is hitting a tipping point.”
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