--- title: "Tesla CFO and Alleged Elon Whisperer Zach Kirkhorn’s Watch Is Finished" description: "Zach Kirkhorn, longtime Tesla CFO and \"Master of Coin,\" has left Tesla — a surprise shift that's reportedly left Wall Street surprised." date: "2023-08-08" modified: "2023-08-08" authors: - name: "Maggie Harrison Dupré" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/mharrison" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/guy-running-tesla-resigns" categories: - "Advanced Transport" - "Tesla" tags: - "electric vehicles" - "elon musk" - "tesla" - "the digest" --- # Tesla CFO and Alleged Elon Whisperer Zach Kirkhorn’s Watch Is Finished ![Tesla / Futurism]() ## Master of Coin Zach Kirkhorn, longtime Tesla CFO and "Master of Coin," has left Tesla. Kirkhorn's departure is no small deal for the Elon Musk-helmed EV venture. In his first year as CFO, Kirkhorn soundly guided the carmaker through the absolute dumpster fire of a mess that was Tesla's Model 3 production, and throughout his four-year tenure, oversaw [record Tesla profits](). Kirkhorn, will stay on through the end of the year, [per *CNBC*](). In a Monday [LinkedIn post]() thanking Tesla employees, he added: "I also want to thank Elon for his leadership and optimism," he continued, "which has inspired so many people." Including, if anybody, himself. ## A Particular Gift of Gab Kirkhorn's greatest skill was his reported fluency in (and poise in the face of) erratic Muskian behavior. As [*The Wall Street Journal* reported]() back in May, Kirkhorn often acted as a middleman between Musk and other employees, with some alleging that the now-former CFO was really the person keeping Telsa afloat. And now, as the carmaker faces a [fresh slew of lawsuits](), [government inquiries](), and [miscellanious Musk-induced PR issues](), the stability Kirkhorn supposedly provided the firm hangs precariously in the balance as well. ## Tea Leaves Abound To that end: There's certainly speculation around the nature of Kirkhorn's farewell. As [noted in *The Financial Times*](), Tesla's most recent earnings call — delivered to investors on Wall Street just three weeks ago — offered no indication that its CFO might be bidding the firm adieu. Maybe they were just keeping things under wraps, but the shift feels sudden nonetheless. "It's a blow in the near term as Zach was a key part of this historic Tesla turnaround the last five years," Dan Ives, a tech analyst at the investment firm Wedbush Securities, [told *Fortune*](). "This is a big surprise to the Street." To that end, it's not surprising to see [folks online]() quickly draw comparisons to the surprise exit of [Tesla's former AI head Andrej Karpathy](), who very suddenly abandoned Tesla's embattled Autopilot division last year. And [as *The Wall Street Journal* points out](), Tesla actually has a long history of [executive departures]() in the lead-up to a new product launch. With the [forever-janky Cybertruck]() on the horizon ([maybe, probably, we don't know]()), perhaps the Master of Coin finally just had enough. **More on Tesla:** [*Elon Musk Promises for the Millionth Time That Tesla Will Achieve Full Self-Driving Soon*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've reported extensively on the rise of AI as a cultural and business force shaping the media industry, and more broadly how those dynamics are changing how we all consume and share information and relate to one another. I'm also fascinated by public health policy and ethics, the role of emerging tech in politics and governance — and the powerful people and forces at those intersections — climate change, and the environment. My investigation on Sports Illustrated's use of AI-generated authors with fictional biographies won a 2024 Mirror Award for "Best Story on Media Coverage of Artificial Intelligence in Journalism and the Media" from Syracuse University's SI Newhouse School, I contributed to Niemen Lab's 2025 Predictions for Journalism series, and I've discussed my work for Futurism during appearances on NPR, CNN, the BBC, the CBC, and more. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I played Division I field hockey for the Minutewomen as a midfielder. Since then, I've lived in New Orleans, Louisiana and Manhattan, New York. I spend my free time running, reading, perusing archival fashion, and searching for the world’s best negroni. I also have a debonair tuxedo cat, Westley, who's named after "The Princess Bride." ### Author social links [Bluesky]()