Former Tesla Supervisor, Matthew LaBrot, who was recently terminated after voicing concerns over CEO Elon Musk’s leadership, spoke out in a candid interview, providing further insight into the company’s troubled state and his dire forecast for its future prospects.
Last month, we covered the story about Chris LaBrot, a seasoned supervisor with five years of experience at Tesla, spearheading an initiative to publish an open letter criticizing staff who believe that CEO Elon Musk has become an obstacle to the company’s progress.
Musk’s critics have called upon him to step down.
The irreparable harm inflicted on Elon’s personal brand has had a ripple effect, ultimately becoming a collective burden for Tesla as its public face. As we stand at this critical juncture, we must confront the daunting prospect of either persisting with Elon as CEO, risking further erosion as customers desert the brand, or else chart a new course without him, allowing our products and ideals to flourish or falter independently.
Not surprisingly, his tenure was brief before being terminated.
The co-founder of LaBrot has yet to grant a revealing interview to Laborious Reset, whereupon he would delve deeper into the situation’s particulars.
Following a barrage of attacks from Elon Musk’s supporters, LaBrot successfully proved himself to be a financially successful and productive member of the Tesla team.
He was hired by the automaker in 2019 as an assistant supervisor and rapidly progressed through the ranks, becoming a general supervisor before transitioning to corporate roles in sales and training.
He mentioned:
I am confident that my addition brought significant value, especially with the last piece. Every gross sales and supply worker received education through my words. That profound trust Tesla placed in me was a testament to his unwavering faith in my abilities. Not being part of that world anymore is a bit surreal, really settling onto my own skin for the first time in a while.
LaBrot boasts a diverse automotive collection, featuring both an innovative Cybertruck and a stylish Mannequin Y. You cannot call someone a Tesla hater.
As a passionate advocate for accelerating the widespread adoption of electric vehicles, he dedicated himself fully to this mission.
This understanding wasn’t novel to me. Throughout my entire tenure at Tesla, I considered myself a passionate advocate for electric vehicles and renewable energy. For over six years, my focus has been steadfastly dedicated to combating misconceptions surrounding electric vehicles (EVs) and working tirelessly towards fulfilling this mission. In recent years, our approach has streamlined, yet early on at the company, every sales conversation revolved around persuading people’s minds. As soon as we reach the tipping point, the person behind this company’s mission begins to repel potential clients, causing our priorities to shift suddenly? It was essential that leaders took a proactive stance to rescue the struggling corporation.
A former supervisor of Tesla revealed his initial admiration for Elon Musk, stating that he even signed up for Twitter when the entrepreneur bought the platform; yet, his enthusiasm was short-lived as he became increasingly disenchanted with it.
As the situation escalated, he found himself struggling to convince Tesla prospects to return to the previous model, a challenge he attributed in part to Elon Musk’s influential online commentary and public support for those fighting to accelerate electric vehicle adoption.
Despite being surrounded by numerous controversies, Musk explained that he initially believed the board would intervene once Trump took office, but instead, they strengthened their support, enabling him to lead solo all-hands meetings without other management oversight?
He became the clear leader of Tesla’s management team as its Chief Executive Officer.
As LaBrott pointed out, Tesla’s explanation for the significant decline in gross sales in Q1 – attributing it solely to the Model Y transition – raises questions about the true nature of the issue.
Without referencing anything previously undisclosed, the Q1 figures have indeed been released, substantiating a downturn. As you’ll learn, the media is speculating about our decision to prioritize production over marketing, which has led to a limited promotion of our vehicles. The latest buzz around town revolves around Model Y’s imminent arrival, with eager enthusiasts counting down the days until this cutting-edge vehicle hits the market. Superb. With the enhanced features, you can effortlessly spot newly arrived Mannequin Y models in stock at various locations simply by glancing at them as you pass by. You can visit the Tesla website to order your dream Model Y in real-time, with any desired configuration available for immediate delivery. That’s not how Tesla works. The corporation seeks to build up a surplus of orders to match their existing supply figures.
The former supervisor explicitly stated that he does not anticipate a reversal of this trend unless Elon Musk’s departure from the company or an increase in his stake in Tesla Inc. occurs.
It seems unlikely that anything he does will change the minds of those who have already decided not to support Tesla beyond his departure. Many individuals I’ve conversed with believe that’s insufficient at this juncture. The company requires him to liquidate all his stock holdings and publicly endorse their products, a responsibility he is hesitant to accept. For Tesla, in terms of car sales, it’s game over.
LaBrot highlighted his understanding that Musk has been suggesting he no longer cares about electric vehicle (EV) sales figures because he believes autonomous driving and robotics are the primary focus, a notion LaBrot shares as a long-term goal; however, he thinks that the current EV sales pattern will lead to Tesla becoming unprofitable before it can achieve this vision.
The CEO addressed the Tesla team with a crucial announcement.
While working, collect your paychecks diligently, understanding that securing financial stability is wise and crucial until the end of one’s life. It’s crucial to recognize that progress won’t escalate with him at the helm.
While he empathizes with people struggling in the current job market, he acknowledges that corporations are profiting from this situation, thereby silencing individuals’ criticisms of circumstances similar to those faced by Tesla employees.
