Gary Zhou 
Tesla CEO Elon Musk detailed his succession plan for the electric automaker and even discussed his recommendation to take over if “something were to happen to him unexpectedly.”
There have been a lot of rumors in terms of Elon Musk’s plans at Tesla, with some speculation even going as far as to claim that his days as CEO of the electric automaker are numbered. However, he put those rumors to bed in recent memory at the Tesla Shareholder Event, which triggered the thought: What will happen when Musk does step down?
Whether it is planned or not, Musk is ready. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal last evening, Musk outlined his succession plan and what the automaker will do in his absence, especially if it’s unexpected.
“There are particular individuals that I’ve told ther board, ‘Look, if something happens to me unexpectedly, this is my recommendation for who should take over,’” Musk said. “The board is aware of who my recommendation is.”
Several candidates come to mind, including Senior Vice President of Automotive Tom Zhu, who took over the role in April. Zhu knows Tesla inside and out would likely be a great candidate for transitioning the automaker smoothly in the sudden absence of Musk.
Until then, a clear cut name remains out there in the open for Musk and the Board to mull over in the case the current CEO is no longer able to run the company for any reason.
