During his 17 years leading Tesla as CEO and largest shareholder, Musk seemed to concentrate power in his own hands.

Elon Musk currently oversees six companies, each of which is valued at over $1 billion. Since January, he has also spearheaded DOGE and supported President Trump’s effort to shrink the federal government. So how does Elon Musk balance all of this? The short answer is that he can’t.

At some companies, Musk is fortunate to have loyal, capable assistants to handle day-to-day operations. For example, at SpaceX, President and COO Gwynne Shotwell runs the company’s day-to-day operations. That’s not the case at Tesla.

Tesla is a publicly traded electric vehicle (EV) company with a market cap of $770 billion — it was once Musk’s most valuable asset (though SpaceX may be worth more now). However, if the world’s richest man decides to step down as CEO at Tesla (which is considered an unlikely and highly unlikely scenario), there is no clear successor who can steer the company through this difficult period.

Tesla is currently facing a decline in sales, its electric vehicle technology advantage is being seriously threatened by Chinese competitors such as BYD. In addition, Tesla is also being left behind by Waymo in the field of autonomous vehicles (robotaxi) – a field that is predicted to become an inevitable trend in the future.

Tesla itself also acknowledged this concern in a risk report sent to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC): “We rely heavily on the leadership of Elon Musk – Technoking and our CEO. Although Mr. Musk spends a lot of time on Tesla and actively participates in the management of the company, he cannot devote all of his time and attention to Tesla”.

This suggests that, despite Musk’s talent and influence, Tesla’s future could be in turmoil if he no longer has a direct leadership role at the company.

If Elon Musk does decide to step down as CEO at Tesla, it could trigger a sell-off in Tesla stock that is more severe than the 50% drop the stock has experienced in recent months. Tesla’s value—greater than that of any other automaker—is largely built on Musk’s image as a business genius and visionary leader.

The question now is who could replace Elon Musk?

So who could take over as CEO if Tesla’s board were to force Musk to step down? Who has the skills, experience, and fortitude to transform Tesla into the AI ​​and robotics company Musk envisions?

Typically, large publicly traded companies have a well-established succession team – people who have stood the test of time and have the confidence of investors and analysts. However, Tesla does not have such a succession team.

During his 17 years as CEO and largest shareholder, Musk has concentrated power in his own hands and failed to build a strong succession pipeline. Tesla currently has no president, COO, or executive vice president (EVP). The highest positions below Musk are the chief financial officer (CFO) and a single senior vice president. This is clearly a serious leadership shortage when compared to other large companies in the auto, manufacturing, or technology industries.

Musk’s departure of many core employees has also weakened Tesla’s succession pipeline. Talents like Jerome Guillen (former president of automotive operations) and Doug Fields (a famous engineer from Apple who played an important role in developing the Model Y and Model 3) have left the company in the context of Musk not allowing them to have too much influence.

However, according to Forbes’ assessment, the following 5 people can be viable options to succeed Musk. More importantly, they do not tend to cause controversy or create social media scandals like Musk:

1. JB Straubel

The person with the most obvious ability to replace Musk is JB Straubel, who is currently the CEO and co-founder of Redwood Materials, a company specializing in battery recycling and component manufacturing. He is also a member of Tesla’s board of directors.

Straubel was not only a key player in Tesla’s early days, but also the main architect behind the company’s groundbreaking battery technology – the single most important factor in helping Tesla become the world’s number one electric car company.

If Tesla wants to maintain its lead in battery technology and expand into AI and autonomous driving, Straubel is the best choice. Moreover, his calm, engineering-focused leadership style could help stabilize Tesla in a post-Musk tumultuous time.

Elon Musk recruited JB Straubel to join Tesla as a co-founder in 2004. He served as chief technology officer (CTO) until 2019, overseeing Tesla’s early development of electric motors and battery packs and getting Tesla’s massive Gigafactory in Nevada up and running.

However, according to people close to him, Straubel has shown little interest in taking over Tesla. He is currently focused on building Redwood Materials, the battery recycling and component manufacturing company he co-founded and runs. Straubel has yet to comment on the possibility of taking over as Tesla CEO.

Tom Zhu: Tesla’s “unofficial COO”

Another potential successor to Musk is Tom Zhu, currently Tesla’s sole senior vice president (SVP). Zhu is Tesla’s head of global automotive operations and is seen as an unofficial COO — especially as Musk spends less and less time at Tesla.

Zhu is based in China, the world’s largest electric vehicle market and a key battleground for Tesla against Chinese rivals like BYD. He is responsible for Tesla’s manufacturing and expansion in China, including the Shanghai Gigafactory, which has played a key role in boosting Tesla’s output and revenue in recent years.

Zhu is seen as someone with hands-on experience running a large-scale manufacturing company and a deep understanding of global supply chains—critical elements in the auto industry. But it’s unclear whether Zhu will have the support of the board and major shareholders, as he lacks the clout and charisma of Musk or Straubel.

Zhu is an extremely efficient manager and the kind of “workaholic” that Musk values, according to insiders. However, Zhu maintains a very low public profile and is little known to investors. When asked about the possibility of taking on the CEO role at Tesla, Zhu did not respond.

Stella Li: A Potential Outsider from BYD

Stella Li, 55, has played a key role in helping BYD expand its international auto business, especially in Latin America, a fast-growing market. Li is a familiar figure to analysts and investors in the US, having been named to Time magazine’s Time 100 Climate Leaders list and a World Car Person of the Year award.

If Li were to take over as Tesla’s CEO, it would be a bold move, coming from a direct competitor. However, the fact that BYD is currently Tesla’s battery supplier in China could be a big advantage.

Li’s close ties to the Chinese supply chain and his understanding of the regional electric vehicle market would help Tesla maintain its competitive edge, especially as BYD prepares to launch its “God’s Eye” technology, an autonomous driving assistance system that could rival Tesla’s Full Self-Driving system.

John Krafcik: The Waymo Leader

John Krafcik, former CEO of Waymo (Alphabet’s self-driving car company), is also a potential candidate for Tesla’s CEO position, given his extensive experience in both the automotive industry and autonomous driving technology, Tesla’s two core areas.

Krafcik led Waymo from a pilot project at Google to the world’s leading commercial self-driving car company. Under Krafcik’s leadership, Waymo has successfully developed operational robotaxi services in the US, thereby creating a leading advantage in the field of self-driving cars over Tesla.

While Krafcik is an outsider to Tesla, he is well-known to investors, automakers, and parts suppliers around the world. He also has extensive ties to Chinese automakers thanks to his time leading Waymo.

With experience in automotive engineering, manufacturing, product development, marketing, and especially in the field of autonomous driving, Krafcik has a skill set that fits perfectly with what Tesla needs to move forward in the autonomous driving field. However, Krafcik declined to comment on the possibility of taking over as CEO of Tesla.

José Muñoz: Potential Pick from Hyundai

José Muñoz is another potential candidate, although his chances of taking on the CEO role at Tesla are somewhat lower since he started his new job this year as CEO of Hyundai Motor.

Muñoz is a Spaniard with extensive experience in the automotive industry and has played a key role in expanding production and developing markets for Hyundai. He is known as a leader with a clear strategy, excellent operational ability and acumen in product development.

Prior to his current role, Muñoz served as Hyundai’s global COO after 15 years at Nissan, where he served as chief performance officer (CPO) and president of North America. Muñoz’s resume also includes five years at Toyota’s European division — demonstrating a deep history in the global automotive industry.

Muñoz is not only a business leader, he’s also a scientist at heart. Muñoz holds a PhD in Nuclear Engineering from the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid and an MBA.

However, the possibility of Muñoz leaving Hyundai to join Tesla remains a big question mark, especially since he’s just taken over as Hyundai’s CEO. The transition from a traditional automotive group to a company with a startup culture like Tesla is no small challenge.

The Challenge of Elon Musk’s Ghost

Whether any of the above candidates are chosen to be Tesla’s CEO (if they can), they will still have to face the “ghost” of Elon Musk. Musk is currently the largest shareholder and a highly influential board member at Tesla. It will be difficult for his successor to make independent decisions without being influenced by Musk.

Ross Gerber, CEO of Gerber Kawasaki Wealth and Investment Management and one of Tesla’s most vocal investors, shared: “The board has done nothing to protect Tesla from Elon Musk. Tesla doesn’t have a Tim Cook, there’s no No. 2. If Musk could just find someone capable to run it, it would be a big win for everyone. But now, Musk’s problem is his ego.”

Not to mention, the possibility of Musk giving up the CEO position is very low, because Musk has already attached his name to Tesla. The company’s identity—from product design to business strategy—is all Musk-influenced. Finding someone who can take over and guide Tesla without Musk interfering is a difficult task.