‘I have like 17 jobs.’ Investors wonder if Elon Musk is spending enough time at Tesla to lead the company

Investors are increasingly calling for Musk to shift focus back to Tesla as the company faces a brand crisis.

Elon Musk was speaking to Tesla staff in Austin, Texas, last Thursday when he admitted: “I’m stretched pretty thin. I have like 17 jobs.” The meeting seemed hastily arranged. Employees were notified shortly before the event, which was scheduled for 9:30 pm, Business Insider reported. Never before had a Tesla all-hands meeting been live-streamed the way this one was. It may have been the first time some Tesla employees had seen their CEO in weeks, as Musk has been spending more time in Washington, DC, working with his new Department of Government Efficiency. The political focus signals a big change for Musk, who has been known to be intimately involved at his companies, even sleeping at Tesla factories or X’s offices during pivotal moments. Although Tesla’s stocks rallied after the Thursday meeting, investors are increasingly calling for Musk to shift gears as the car maker faces a brand crisis — fueled in part by his politics and involvement in the Trump administration. Tesla sales and stock have been rocked as dealerships, and individual cars have been attacked and vandalized. Prices for used Teslas have plummeted, and Tesla had to recall most of its Cybertrucks in the US because of a problem with its exterior panel. Investors worry that Musk’s absence could impact the company’s decision-making at such a critical time. “The point is, this has turned into a tornado that only one person could resolve: It’s Elon,” said Dan Ives, a top analyst with Wedbush Securities and a Tesla bull who has publicly called for Musk to return to the EV maker.