Topline

Elon Musk on Tuesday said he’s committed to being Tesla’s chief executive for the next five years and suggested he would cut down on his political spending, following earlier reports—shot down by Musk—suggesting Tesla’s board launched a search to replace him.

Key Facts

Musk, who spoke Tuesday over video at the Qatar Economic Forum, responded to a question about whether he would be Tesla’s CEO in five years: “Yes, no doubt about that at all.”

Musk said he wants to hold his position at Tesla to have “sufficient voting control” at the company so he cannot be removed by activist investors, adding, “It’s not a money thing, it’s a reasonable control thing over the future of the company.”

His response follows a report from the Wall Street Journal earlier this month, which claimed Tesla’s board members had reached out to recruitment firms in search of Musk’s successor as investors were “irritated” with Musk’s time in Washington, D.C., though Musk accused the outlet of publishing a “DELIBERATELY FALSE ARTICLE.”

Robyn Denholm, chair of Tesla’s board of directors, also dismissed the report as “absolutely false” and said the Journal was notified of this before its story was published.

Tesla’s shares increased in value by nearly 3% to about $351 Tuesday afternoon, following a 2% dip Monday, as the automaker’s stock is down nearly 9% on the year.

Tangent

Musk, who donated more than $200 million in support of President Donald Trump’s campaign, suggested he would spend “do a lot less” on future political donations. “I think I’ve done enough,” Musk said, later noting, “If I see a reason to do political spending in the future, I will do it. I don’t currently see a reason.”

What To Watch For

Musk said he would move forward with his lawsuit against OpenAI, claiming he created the company’s name and provided its first $50 million in funding. The Tesla CEO revived a lawsuit against the AI firm in August 2024, claiming OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and co-founder Greg Brockman breached the company’s founding contract by developing AI for “personal profits.” OpenAI has denied Musk’s claims, arguing the company’s mission is to ensure AI “benefits all of humanity” and that Musk initially understood launching a for-profit entity was necessary.