Copied! BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA - MAY 6: Elon Musk, co-founder of Tesla and SpaceX and owner of X Holdings Corp., speaks at the Milken Institute's Global Conference at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Photo by Apu Gomes/Getty Images Elon Musk and Tesla. Tesla and Elon Musk. The future of America’s largest electric vehicle manufacturer has always been tied to its charismatic and controversial CEO. Conversely, a significant portion of the self-described Techno King’s immense fortune is built on Tesla. Their destinies are linked. As Musk goes, so goes Tesla. A month after his chaotic exit from the Trump administration, the CEO has returned to the company full time, attempting to stabilize a brand whose reputation has been badly damaged by its leader’s political actions. For months, Musk had been a high-profile member of the administration. After reportedly helping Donald Trump return to the White House, he was entrusted with a tailor-made agency, the Department of Government Efficiency. The much-vaunted DOGE quickly became the public face of the administration’s most controversial policies, as Musk led efforts to slash the federal government and close entire agencies. His simultaneous embrace of white supremacist causes alienated the progressive and liberal customer base that had built Tesla into a global powerhouse. The consequences were severe: Tesla’s vehicle sales plummeted, leading to a 20% drop in revenue and a 71% plunge in net income in the first quarter of this year.