Omead Afshar, the executive behind Tesla’s massive Texas Gigafactory and a close ally of Elon Musk, has been let go. It wasn’t a quiet exit or a planned move. Afshar helped lead Tesla’s operations in North America and Europe. He had Elon’s trust. And now, he’s out.
Why Now?
This isn’t just one person leaving. Tesla is going through major changes:
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Thousands of layoffs have hit teams across the company
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Sales are slowing in markets like Europe and China
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The focus is shifting hard to AI, Full Self-Driving (FSD), and the new Robotaxi platform
It looks like Tesla is tightening its inner circle and cutting even high-level roles if they don’t align with Elon’s current vision.
What Could This Mean for the Rest of Us?
Tesla has always been unpredictable, but letting go of someone this senior sends a clear signal: the company is going all-in on autonomy and AI, and fast.
Some questions to watch:
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Will this slow down expansion at Gigafactories?
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Will the Robotaxi timeline shift again?
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Who’s actually steering the ship with so many leadership changes?
A Turning Point for Tesla?
It sure feels like it. Afshar’s firing shows that Tesla’s next chapter might be less about cars and more about software, robots, and automation. And for fans, owners, and investors, that means keeping a close eye on how these bets play out.
This article was informed by reporting from Reuters.