Elon Musk may appear in crisis to outsiders with his incendiary tweets and public meltdowns – but his staff say it’s even worse inside Tesla.
Employees said the under-pressure billionaire sets unrealistic goals on a whim and constantly shifts sales targets – all while expecting staff to feel sorry for him.
The company was described as being ‘in turmoil’ as Musk lurches from one self-inflicted drama to another and investors fret about Tesla’s future.
‘Elon talks about being a socialist and doing good for mankind – unless you work for them. It’s a s**t show,’ one insider told the New York Post.
The enigmatic figure would often make far-fetched promises about upcoming features in Tesla’s cars, and refuse to walk it back when told they aren’t doable.
‘He’ll say ‘the car can do X, Y or Z’ and yes, that is possible – two decades from now. He bases his argument on the physically possible rather than the practical reality,’ one worker said.
Employees said under-pressure Elon Musk sets unrealistic goals on a whim and constantly shifts sales targets – all while expecting staff to feel sorry for him
Musk was even said to demand new functionality on his cars based on fans asking when they would be available, then tweet back a date regardless of practicality.
Sales staff were equally frustrated after leaving high-paying jobs for the promise of huge commissions at Tesla that have not materialized.
A salesman who left a $150,000 job for one at Tesla with a $34,000 base salary said staff rarely get their commissions because the company changes the targets.
He described how a co-worker had a great year and was expecting a $42,000 commission, only to be told she missed the target and would only get $4,000.
There were persistent problems with the cars, too, as a Business Insider report revealed 4,300 of the 5,000 Model 3s made in June needed substantial fixes.
That meant only 14 percent of the cars left the production line without needing fixes – compared to 80 percent at most other companies.
Elon talks about being a socialist and doing good for mankind – unless you work for them. It’s a s**t show.’
The cars had ‘inconsistent gaps and flushness throughout the car, missing bolts, loose tolerances, and uneven and misaligned spot welds’, investors said.
‘The results confirm media reports of quality issues and are disappointing for a $49k car.’
Staff told the Post many of the Model 3s came into the showroom scratched or damaged with mismatched panels that didn’t line up properly.
Then on Thursday a fire started at Tesla’s Freemont, California, factory which began in a cardboard pile and threatened buildings until it was put out.
‘I was just there. Cardboard being prepped for recycling along southern fence line caught fire. Super appreciate fast response by Fremont fire dept! No injuries or damage to factory,’ Musk tweeted.
The ‘turmoil’ has resulted in, and been exacerbated by, an exodus of senior staff who were sick of how the company was being run.
Corporate treasurer and VP of finance Susan Repo left after five years, sales chief Jon McNeill defected to Lyft, and chief accounting officer Eric Branderiz quit for personal reasons – all in March.
The in July, chief engineer Doug Field and top sales executive Ganesh Srivats jumped ship.
Even with Tesla’s woes and Musk’s increasingly unhinged public persona, employees said they were still expected to treat him as a messianic figure.
Company sources described staff meetings reminiscent of an infamous meeting of President Donald Trump’s cabinet where they went around the table showering him with praise and thanking him for choosing them.
More recently, a salesperson said corporate ‘literally sent out a picture of the couch and blanket that he sleeps on’ at the Tesla factory.
‘They were selling it to us like his team pitched in to buy him a new couch. He’s a f**king billionaire. He can afford a couch,’ they said.
But despite widespread unrest, staff still want the company to succeed – if only so they still have jobs.
‘Everyone realizes it’s f**ked up, but everyone’s afraid of losing their job before Tesla ‘hits it big’. It’s a mess,’ one said.
Employees also speculated that Musk’s incendiary tweets were, at least in part, meant to distract from any bad news at Tesla.
Reporting by Nic White for MailOnline