Omead Afshar, one of Elon Musk's most trusted lieutenants and a powerful Tesla executive, has left the electric vehicle maker, according to people familiar with the matter. The departure marks the latest in a string of high-level exits during a tumultuous period for the company as it faces declining sales and increased competition.
The news has circulated internally among Tesla employees in recent days, with Afshar's name no longer appearing in the company's internal directory, Bloomberg reported. Neither Afshar, Musk, nor Tesla responded to requests for comment.
Afshar, who worked in the CEO's office, was promoted last year to oversee sales and manufacturing operations in North America and Europe123. Those markets have become challenging for Tesla recently, with sales declining due to rising competition and consumer reaction to Musk's involvement in President Donald Trump's administration13.
The departure follows at least one other recent high-profile exit. Milan Kovac, who led the engineering team for Tesla's Optimus humanoid robot program, resigned to spend more time with family13.
The personnel changes come during a difficult year for Tesla, whose shares have fallen approximately 19% while demand has waned for its electric vehicles123. Musk has spent considerable time in Washington and is attempting to reorient the company around artificial intelligence, robots, and autonomous vehicles13. Tesla recently launched a small number of its long-promised robotaxis in Austin12.
Tesla is expected to announce global delivery results for the second quarter next week12.
Afshar joined Tesla in 2017 as the company ramped up Model 3 production12. "I was with Elon nearly every single day during Model 3 hell," he wrote on social media, describing a period that included holidays and personal events12.
The 38-year-old executive oversaw construction of Tesla's Austin plant and became known for his attention to detail3. He faced internal scrutiny in 2022 over his role in purchasing construction materials, including special glass, which triggered an investigation14. Afshar briefly worked at SpaceX before returning to Tesla56.
As recently as this week, Afshar posted messages on social media praising Tesla's robotaxi launch12.