--- title: "Elon Musk Warns That Tesla Board Could Fire Him “If I Go Crazy”" description: "Elon Musk noted that his time as Tesla CEO could easily be cut short, due to his 13 percent ownership stake." date: "2025-07-24" modified: "2025-07-24" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/elon-musk-tesla-board-fire-crazy" categories: - "Advanced Transport" - "Elon Musk" - "Future Society" - "Tesla" - "The Industrialists" tags: - "elon musk" - "evs" - "tesla" --- # Elon Musk Warns That Tesla Board Could Fire Him “If I Go Crazy” ![Elon Musk noted that his time as Tesla CEO could easily be cut short, due to his 13 percent ownership stake.]() *\Image: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images\* As widely expected, Tesla's latest business fundamentals are not looking good. During the company's [second-quarter earnings call]() on Wednesday, Tesla reported a whopping 16 percent decline in automotive revenue, its biggest drop in over a decade. There are no two ways about it: Tesla is in a full-blown crisis under Musk's leadership. The mercurial CEO has massively tarnished the company's brand, [leading to plummeting sales](). At some level, even Musk seems to get it. The richest man in the world also noted that his time as CEO could easily be cut short, conceding that his 13 percent ownership stake in the company leaves him vulnerable. "It is a big deal — I don’t want to find I have so little control I can be easily ousted by activist shareholders," Musk said. "That is a major concern to me as I’ve mentioned in the past, and I hope that is addressed at the upcoming shareholders meeting." "I think my control over Tesla, Inc. should be enough to ensure that it goes in a good direction, but not so much control that I can't be thrown out if I go crazy," he added. In early 2024, Musk [argued]() that he was "uncomfortable" with building AI products and robots with Tesla without having a "25 percent voting control," which critics argued amounted to "blackmail." The mercurial CEO has put Tesla through a world of hurt, [diving head-first into a political race](), having [screaming matches]() with top Trump officials in the White House, [breaking up with the president]() in explosive fashion, alienating [Democrats and Republicans alike](), and all the while [furthering racist conspiracy theories]() and [spreading disinformation](). Most recently, he promised to [dedicate himself to establishing a third political party]() in the US, in which his critics warned would be yet another enormous distraction from running his carmaker. Yet even following all that turbulence brought on by Musk, investors and the company's board have largely sat by, enduring his antics and [propping up a $1 trillion valuation](). It makes you wonder how much more they can take. Given the company's performance so far this year, Musk has proven time and time again to be incredibly damaging to the business. Sales are in a tailspin worldwide, failing to capitalize on a surge in interest in EVs. As [*Fortune* reports](), the reality is that Tesla's bylaws make a dramatic ouster incredibly unlikely. Shareholders need support from at least two-thirds of all outstanding shares, instead of a simple majority, to pass a vote. During this week's earnings call, Musk suggested that his ownership stake could once again be debated during the company's annual shareholder meeting in November. While it remains to be seen how they'll react to his suggestion to up his ownership stake, investors have historically sided with the CEO on a broad range of issues, [voting twice]() to reinstate his astronomical pay package, which was once worth $56 billion, a decision a Delaware judge [struck down]() each time. Musk's current strategy at Tesla has been a massive bet on humanoid robots and a robotaxi service, neither of which is anywhere close to generating significant amounts of revenue for the carmaker. It's a gambit that could be many years from paying off — and investors will have a tough choice to make on whether they'll go along for the ride. "We probably could have a few rough quarters," a somber Musk admitted during this week's call. Following the company's disastrous earnings call, shares plummeted almost nine percent. **More on Tesla:** *[Your Eyeballs Will Bug Out Like a Retro Cartoon Character When You Hear the Prices at Tesla's New Burger Joint]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()