Tesla Chairman: Only Elon Musk is capable of steering the company for the next 10 years, a rare genius

In the interview, she called Musk a “generational leader”—a type of person whose talent and vision rarely come together—and emphasized that while Musk may not have a day-to-day executive role, he will still be at the center of every strategic move.

Robyn Denholm, Tesla’s chairman, recently made headlines when she asserted that in the next 10 years, only Elon Musk has the ability to steer the company through a crucial transition period.

In the interview, she called Musk a “generational leader”—a type of person whose talent and vision rarely come together—and emphasized that while Musk may not have a day-to-day executive role, he will still be at the center of every strategic move.

The statement comes as Tesla’s board of directors has tied the company’s future to ambitious goals, including scaling up electric vehicle production, aggressively developing artificial intelligence and robotics, and raising Tesla’s market value to trillions of dollars in the next decade.

To ensure Musk’s continued involvement, the board has proposed a stock-based compensation package worth as much as $1 trillion if he achieves a series of huge milestones: from raising Tesla’s market cap to $8.5 trillion to growing profits and sales well beyond current levels. Ms. Denholm acknowledged that these goals are “far from certain” and that Musk would have to put in more than he can handle.

Tesla is currently facing a lot of pressure. Global electric vehicle sales are showing signs of slowing down, especially as Chinese companies are rising strongly with cheaper and more diverse products, causing the brand to gradually lose market share in some key markets. In addition, Musk has also divided his attention between many other projects such as SpaceX, Neuralink or xAI, and even deeply involved in political activities, causing many investors to worry about his level of focus.

However, Ms. Denholm believes that these outside activities contribute to Tesla’s motivation and creativity, rather than weakening its leadership role.

The assertion that Tesla cannot survive without Musk reflects both the company’s confidence and its dependence on a single individual. In the short term, it is a guarantee to investors that management is still betting big on the founder’s vision.

Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives praised the move, calling it a message of “internal cohesion” for Tesla. “Musk is Tesla, and Tesla is Musk,” he said. “Investors, while concerned, understand that if the company is to continue to make breakthroughs in AI, robotics, and global electric vehicles, Musk is the only one capable of leading it.”

However, in the long term, this raises questions about the sustainability of a business. Tesla is building ambitions far beyond the traditional electric vehicle sector, but that path means accepting the risk that any success or failure will be tied to the name Elon Musk.

Baillie Gifford, a former major Tesla shareholder, said the board’s public assertion that only Elon Musk was capable of leading the company reflected a lack of succession planning. “Musk is clearly the central figure, but over-reliance on one individual poses significant governance risks,” the fund’s representative commented to the Financial Times.