Elon Musk, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the American electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla, said on the 20th (local time) that Tesla's sales have turned upward and that he would still be CEO in five years.
Musk participated via video in a discussion program hosted by Bloomberg at the Qatar Economic Forum held in Doha, Qatar, where he made these comments. This was in response to some investors questioning Tesla's sales and how dedicated he is to Tesla.
Musk has led the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under the Donald Trump administration. As political controversies grew, there were criticisms that he weakened Tesla's brand. Tesla's stock has shown significant volatility this year, declining more than 12% compared to the beginning of the year.
Regarding the decline in sales, he responded, "We have achieved a turnaround," adding, "We are strong everywhere except for Europe."
When asked if he thinks he will still be CEO of Tesla in five years, he replied, "Yes," but then said, "No, I could die." He emphasized that he wants to secure enough voting control to avoid being ousted by activist investors, stating, "It's not about the money. It's to have reasonable control over the company's future."
He also hinted at plans to reduce political expenditure. When asked if he would support the same level of political funding in the next election, he said, "I don’t think so," adding, "In the future, I plan to significantly reduce political expenditure," and noted, "As of now, I don't see a reason for (support)." Musk spent more than $250 million to help President Trump’s reelection.