‘People buying Teslas because Elon is crazy’: Musk says he plans to stay CEO for next 5 years 'unless I die'

Elon Musk said on Tuesday he plans to remain Tesla’s CEO for at least the next five years “unless I die,” pushing back against speculation that he could soon be replaced.

Speaking at an event in Doha and quoted by news agency Reuters, the billionaire entrepreneur also claimed, “there are people buying Teslas because Elon is crazy."

The remarks come after weeks of speculation over Musk’s future at the company. Reports first emerged in late April 2025 suggesting that Tesla’s board had begun looking for a new CEO as early as March.


On May 1, The Wall Street Journal and CNN reported that the board had contacted several executive search firms to explore options for Musk’s potential successor, citing concerns about his split focus — particularly due to his role with the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) — and Tesla’s poor financial performance in Q1 2025.

Musk strongly denied those claims, calling the WSJ report “deliberately false” and “an ethical breach.” Tesla chair Robyn Denholm also pushed back, labeling the reports “absolutely false” and voicing full confidence in Musk’s leadership.

Despite the denials, the reports stirred fresh debate among investors and analysts about Musk’s level of commitment to Tesla as he juggles multiple ventures and public roles.

In Doha, Musk sought to reassure supporters, saying Tesla has “already turned around,” and described Europe as the company’s weakest market while claiming strength “everywhere else.”

He emphasised that having “reasonable control” of Tesla is the most important factor in continuing as CEO. Musk also said that acts of “violence committed against my companies” and threats directed at him personally were “on the wrong side of history.”