Elon Musk is now Tesla’s sole voice after key department gets cut
Most media has been left out of loop for months
Elon Musk is known for doing the talking for Tesla on Twitter.
Apparently, he has to because there’s no one to answer the phones back at the office.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TSLA | TESLA INC. | 157.11 | -4.37 | -2.71% |
The automaker has essentially eliminated its formal communications department in the past few months, according to Electrek.
A Tesla source “at the highest level” told the outlet that “we no longer have a PR Team,” when asked about recent staff departures and unanswered inquiries.
Musk often interacts with followers and fans about a variety of Tesla topics on his favorite social media platform while leaving many journalists in the dark.
Tesla did not respond to a request from Fox News for comment, nor has it for any story since Aug. 2019, when it came from then-communications manager Richard Otto, who is now a product manager at the company, according to his LinkedIn profile. On the anniversary of that final communication this August, Fox News Autos asked Elon Musk via Twitter if Tesla had a functioning communications department, but he did not respond.
Many news organizations have come up against a similar situation since even before Tesla’s last communications director, Keely Sulpirizo, left the company for a position at Impossible Foods. Prior to that, the department was known both for quick responses and actively reaching out to news organizations in an attempt to control the narratives of stories about Tesla.
The lack of communication this year was highlighted in an article posted to Jalopnik this week that recounted one reporter’s futile efforts to get a response from anyone at the automaker.
Elon Musk has not yet commented on the Electrek report.
While the media is getting the cold shoulder, investors don't seem to mind. Shares have advanced over 400% this year.