Tesla’s long-standing finance chief, Zachary Kirkhorn, has unexpectedly stepped down, catching analysts off guard as he was seen as a potential successor to CEO Elon Musk.
The world’s largest electric vehicle manufacturer did not provide a reason for Kirkhorn’s departure. Vaibhav Taneja, 45, has taken over the role as of Friday and will continue as the head of accounting. Kirkhorn plans to remain at Tesla until the end of the year to ensure a smooth transition.
Kirkhorn was known for his composed demeanour, providing a balanced counterpoint to Musk’s more volatile nature. He frequently communicated with analysts, making presentations on strategy and products.
Tesla’s leadership succession and executive bench depth have been topics of concern for investors, particularly since Musk’s involvement in Twitter (now X) and his roles at SpaceX and Neuralink.
During Kirkhorn’s tenure, Tesla achieved its first quarterly profit after scaling up Model 3 production and reached a market valuation surpassing $1 trillion.
Kirkhorn’s departure arrives as Tesla readies for Cybertruck deliveries and the completion of a mass-market EV plant in Mexico for a future robotaxi.
Kirkhorn expressed his pride in his work at Tesla in a LinkedIn post but did not elaborate on his decision.
This departure marks the highest-profile change since Jerome Guillen, overseeing Tesla’s electric Semi truck project, left in 2021.
