It's not uncommon for Tesla's executive to move on, and we've seen it happen a number of times over the years, with head of AI and Autopilot Vision Andrej Karpathy being the most recent. However, new reports suggest that Elon Musk's top lieutenant Omead Afshar may have to depart as well.
It's important to note up front that reports related to this story came from anonymous sources familiar with the matter. Nothing has been substantiated so far, and little is known or understood about precisely what transpired. With that said, we'll be keeping a close eye on the developments so we can provide more details if and when they become available.
As the story goes, the director of the office of the CEO at Tesla, Omead Afshar, is under scrutiny due to reports that he may have ordered some type of special glass for Musk. Afshar functions as Musk's chief of staff, and he also managed Tesla's construction efforts at Giga Texas.
Based on an article published by Bloomberg, Tesla has launched an internal probe related to the suspicious order and may have to ask Afshar to leave the company. According to the sources familiar with the matter, Afshar placed an order for "special glass" that was intended for a "secret project," and Tesla's financing department flagged the order and launched an inside investigation.
The sources went on to say that Afshar was working to get construction materials that are hard to come by. Moreover, their reports claim that others related to the order and/or project have already been fired by Tesla. Finally, they shared that Afshar will be leaving his position at Tesla, though he'll likely take a leave of absence for now. The sources went on to say that Tesla and Afshar are still ironing out the details of his upcoming departure.
There are few details about the glass and why it's special or an issue, aside from the fact that it may be challenging to acquire. The more problematic situation appears to be that Afshar could have ordered it for himself or Musk, or perhaps for a project the two are working on together. Either way, if it's not for Tesla, then the order probably shouldn't have been placed through Tesla's purchasing department.
As the investigation unfolds, we'll either provide updates to this article or publish a new article with the official details. In the meantime, let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.
