Elon Musk still hasn’t finished his 10% layoffs at Tesla and employees are ‘walking on eggshells every day’ – Fortune
Over a month into Chief Executive Officer Elon Musks plans to slash at least10% of the companys workforce, hes still not done. This means anxious employees wake up each dayto check their messages, wondering if they still have a job. The rolling job cuts are likely to extend through at least June, according to people familiar with the matter, who werentauthorized to speak publicly about the layoffs.
Its difficult to imagine the feeling of walking on eggshells every day at work, uncertain whether or not youll be able to pay your bills or feed your family, Michael Minick, a former Tesla sales representative who was laid off in April,wroteon LinkedIn. It would be a relief to know that they can breathe and focus on their work, without the gray cloud of uncertainty looming over.
Teslas workforce already has endured dramatic transformation the last few years the onetime Silicon Valley upstart with a maniacal vision on clean energy is now concentratedin Texasand fixated on other undertakings, includingartificial intelligenceandrobots.
Somestill with the company say Musk has sapped morale by prioritizinga robotaxi over a $25,000 electric vehicle. They also say amission that had inspired legions of Musk acolytes has been muddied.
Musk has yet to give staff an all clear indication that the job cuts are over, leading co-workers to darkly joke with one another about anxiety andinsomnia. One current employee described the atmosphere as akin toSquid Game, the hit television series in which characters facing financial hardship fight for their lives playing deadly childrens contests.
The waves of dismissals, which already have hit thousands across departments including sales, human resources and virtually the entireSuperchargerdivision, are expected to gut significant parts ofTesla, whichstarted the year with more than 140,000 employees. Musk has pushed for a 20% reduction in headcount, Bloomberg reported last month.
In the Supercharger division, some employees found out that Max de Zegher, the director of charging for North America, had been laid off afterhis Microsoft Teams icon suddenly went gray,indicating that he was no longer with the company.
Many on theteam spent the next several dayssaying their goodbyes, cracking jokes and making references to the Titanic,according to Joel Musial,who was laid off from his job as a Tesla construction manager.We were just missing the string quartet! Musialwroteon LinkedIn.
The gallows humor pervaded the Supercharging team, which had set upmore than 6,200 stations and 57,000 connectors worldwide and was in the process ofopening the networkto other automakers, which should increase usage.
Musk says Teslastill plans to growthe network, albeit at a slower pace.Herehiredde Zegher, but hasnt said how many others will be asked to return.
Its also unclear whether the company will have enough personnel to sustain Supercharger stations, after layoffs hit several technician groups. A former employee in California said two dozen people were cut from an 80-person team that maintained and fixedSuperchargersin Northern California, leaving gaps in both geography and specialties.
The region now has just one employee in an over 200-mile stretch between Santa Rosa and Eureka, said the person, who was cut two weeks after the initial layoff announcement.
Another person in a similar role based in Canada predictedchaos after he and dozens of others were let go, since many Tesla charging stations are hours apart,and the amount of work requiredwill only increase once more companies customers get access.
He said hed worked for two weeks after the initial layoff announcement in a state of distraction and uncertainty, where an ever-growing workload and constantly disappearing co-workers made it difficult to concentrate. On his last day at Tesla, he said he was dispatching technicians and attending his daily slate of meetings,only to find himself locked out of his company laptop at 10:45 p.m. By 11:01 p.m. that night, hereceived the layoff noticeat his personal account.
The cuts are hitting at a time of sluggish demand for the broader EV industry, which is heapingpressure on a workforce already coming to grips with changes in the companys culture, according to a former sales employee.The person saidhed already seen significant turnover in his near-decade with Tesla, and that each departurecostthe carmakercrucialinstitutional knowledge.
Great companies are made up of equal parts great people and great products, and the latter are only possible when its people are thriving,Rich Otto, who resigned as Teslas head of product launches this month, said in a LinkedIn post that he deleted after media outlets reported on it. The recent layoffs that are rocking the company and its morale have thrown this harmony out of balance, and its hard to see the long game.
Go here to see the original:
- Elon Musk had more extensive ties to Epstein than previously known, emails show - The Guardian - February 1st, 2026 [February 1st, 2026]
- New Epstein Files Name Elon Musk, Bill Gates and Other Powerful Men - The New York Times - February 1st, 2026 [February 1st, 2026]
- Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Howard Lutnick face new scrutiny over Epstein ties - Al Jazeera - February 1st, 2026 [February 1st, 2026]
- Elon Musk's $20 billion spending plan signals 'Tesla of yesterday is gone' - CNBC - February 1st, 2026 [February 1st, 2026]
- Elon Musk discussed plans to party with Jeffrey Epstein on his Caribbean island, newly released emails show - Business Insider - February 1st, 2026 [February 1st, 2026]
- Elon Musk's work option future made real: UK minister floats universal basic income for AI job cuts - Fortune - February 1st, 2026 [February 1st, 2026]
- From Elon Musk to the former Prince Andrew, a whos who of powerful men are named in Epstein files - KSAT - February 1st, 2026 [February 1st, 2026]
- Elon Musk Asked Jeffrey Epstein About Visiting His Infamous Island on More Than One Occasion, Emails Show - People.com - February 1st, 2026 [February 1st, 2026]
- Elon Musk warns 'insane' US debt is headed for a day of reckoning. How to shockproof your nest egg now - Yahoo Finance - February 1st, 2026 [February 1st, 2026]
- From Elon Musk to the former Prince Andrew, new revelations from the Epstein files - France 24 - February 1st, 2026 [February 1st, 2026]
- 'If I wanted to party with young girls...': Elon Musk reacts to Jeffrey Epstein email - Times of India - February 1st, 2026 [February 1st, 2026]
- Elon Musk calls Epstein files a distraction after DOJ docs show their emails - The Independent - February 1st, 2026 [February 1st, 2026]
- Elon Musk is pivoting Tesla to AI and robots. Wall Street analysts have their doubts - CNBC - February 1st, 2026 [February 1st, 2026]
- Elon Musk Emailed Extensively With Jeffrey Epstein, Asking to Visit His Notorious Island - Futurism - February 1st, 2026 [February 1st, 2026]
- 'Big Short' Michael Burry says Elon Musk is an 'American treasure' but 'even earlier than me' in predicting the future - Business Insider - February 1st, 2026 [February 1st, 2026]
- Elon Musk Wants To Buy Another Election, Pitting Republicans Against Each Other - CleanTechnica - February 1st, 2026 [February 1st, 2026]
- Elon Musk says Tesla ending Models S and X production, converting Fremont factory lines to make Optimus robots - CNBC - February 1st, 2026 [February 1st, 2026]
- Elon Musk and Jeffrey Epstein emailed each other for years trying to meet up, new Justice Department records show - Fortune - February 1st, 2026 [February 1st, 2026]
- Elon Musk is making a big bet on his future vision will it work? - New Scientist - February 1st, 2026 [February 1st, 2026]
- From Elon Musk to the former Prince Andrew, a whos who of powerful men are named in Epstein files - TownAndCountryToday.com - February 1st, 2026 [February 1st, 2026]
- Elon Musk Reveals Where He Spends His Saturdays (Hint: It's Not Politics) - Yahoo Finance - February 1st, 2026 [February 1st, 2026]
- Elon Musk raises eyebrows with unexpected announcement about long-awaited Tesla tech: 'This doesn't seem to be the solution' - The Cool Down - February 1st, 2026 [February 1st, 2026]
- Elon Musk claims Christopher Nolan has lost integrity over The Odyssey casting choice - The Independent - February 1st, 2026 [February 1st, 2026]
- 'I have never been to any...': Elon Musk breaks silence over his emails with Epstein, calls for arrest - WION - February 1st, 2026 [February 1st, 2026]
- Elon Musk Exchanged Emails With Jeffrey Epstein to Plan Trip to Epstein Island - TMZ - February 1st, 2026 [February 1st, 2026]
- Vivian Wilson recalls childhood island visits with father Elon Musk after Epstein files release: '...so d - Times of India - February 1st, 2026 [February 1st, 2026]
- Elon Musk speaks out after concerning emails to Epstein released in new files - UNILAD - February 1st, 2026 [February 1st, 2026]
- Is Tesla turning its back on electric cars? Elon Musk's brand stops production of Model S and X - MSN - January 30th, 2026 [January 30th, 2026]
- Epstein Files Expose His Friendship With Steve Bannon and Elon Musk - Yahoo - January 30th, 2026 [January 30th, 2026]
- Elon Musk Says the Tesla Model S and Model X Will Die Soon - Edmunds - January 30th, 2026 [January 30th, 2026]
- Tesla bet big on Elon Musk. His politics continue to haunt it. - The Washington Post - January 28th, 2026 [January 28th, 2026]
- Elon Musk is flexing his political muscle again and the GOP is responding - Politico - January 28th, 2026 [January 28th, 2026]
- Elon Musk's Neuralink says it has 21 participants enrolled in trials - Yahoo - January 28th, 2026 [January 28th, 2026]
- Governor of US state where Elon Musk wants all companies to move has banned H1-B visas for more than on - Times of India - January 28th, 2026 [January 28th, 2026]
- Elon Musk is about to be on the hook for more than $150 million in SEC case - Electrek - January 28th, 2026 [January 28th, 2026]
- Possible Elon Musk tunnel to Tesla and other proposed solutions for travel to USA Parkway - 2news.com - January 28th, 2026 [January 28th, 2026]
- Davos 2026: Conversation with Elon Musk - weforum.org - January 28th, 2026 [January 28th, 2026]
- Elon Musk At WEF: To Mars And Beyond - Forbes - January 28th, 2026 [January 28th, 2026]
- The CEO of the ADL Said Elon Musk Is the 'Henry Ford of Our Time.' Unfortunately, He Was Right. - Gizmodo - January 28th, 2026 [January 28th, 2026]
- Elon Musk targets SpaceX float to coincide with rare planetary alignment - The Times - January 28th, 2026 [January 28th, 2026]
- Elon Musk Is Diving Back Into U.S. Politics - The Wall Street Journal - January 28th, 2026 [January 28th, 2026]
- Tesla Investors Are Eager to Hear Elon Musk Talk About Everything But EVs - observer.com - January 28th, 2026 [January 28th, 2026]
- Elon Musk fails to deliver on his Cybercab and Optimus promisesagain - fastcompanyme.com - January 28th, 2026 [January 28th, 2026]
- Mural of slain Ukrainian refugee, linked to effort funded by Elon Musk, appears in Chicago - chicago.suntimes.com - January 28th, 2026 [January 28th, 2026]
- Apple reportedly working on collab with Elon Musk to bring 'revolutionary' feature to iPhone - UNILAD Tech - January 28th, 2026 [January 28th, 2026]
- Elon Musk Makes Big Promisesbut Skeptics Are Betting Against Him on Kalshi and Polymarket - inc.com - January 28th, 2026 [January 28th, 2026]
- Elon Musk Says Next Gen Neuralink Cybernetic Augment Will Be Ready Later This Year - X Post - TradingView - January 28th, 2026 [January 28th, 2026]
- When Elon Musk Came for Michael OLeary, the Irishman Knew Exactly What to Do - The Wall Street Journal - January 28th, 2026 [January 28th, 2026]
- My partner is half Indian, son's middle name is Sekhar: Elon Musk claps back at Vinod Khosla over Whit - Times of India - January 28th, 2026 [January 28th, 2026]
- Millennial defense boss is $22 billion richer this year, second only to Elon Musk - Business Insider - January 28th, 2026 [January 28th, 2026]
- Why Two 'Idiots'Elon Musk and the CEO of RyanairAre Going At It - Investopedia - January 28th, 2026 [January 28th, 2026]
- Ryanair lifts fare growth guidance after public feud with Elon Musk - CNBC - January 28th, 2026 [January 28th, 2026]
- Teslas humanoid robots should be in homes by 2027, Elon Musk confirms - The Ambient - January 28th, 2026 [January 28th, 2026]
- Elon Musk Makes First Davos Appearance, Predicts Robots Will Outnumber Humans and Expands Focus on AI and Automation - FinTech Weekly - January 24th, 2026 [January 24th, 2026]
- Elon Musk says his tech empire is built on idea that humans are universe's only intelligent life - Fortune - January 24th, 2026 [January 24th, 2026]
- Elon Musk fails to deliver on his Cybercab and Optimus promisesagain - Fast Company - January 24th, 2026 [January 24th, 2026]
- Elon Musk says Tesla will likely sell humanoid robots by end of next year - Fox Business - January 24th, 2026 [January 24th, 2026]
- Elon Musk predicts agonizingly slow Cybercab and Optimus rollout. But hes not giving up on Teslas big bet on robots - Fortune - January 24th, 2026 [January 24th, 2026]
- Ryanair's O'Leary shrugs off Elon Musk takeover threat as feud rumbles on - Reuters - January 24th, 2026 [January 24th, 2026]
- Elon Musk is hiring, and his simple application process reveals what he values in employees - Business Insider - January 24th, 2026 [January 24th, 2026]
- Elon Musk has an ambitious new target for when Teslas Optimus robots will go on sale - MarketWatch - January 24th, 2026 [January 24th, 2026]
- Elon Musk says it's 'highly likely' humans figure out how to reverse aging but there's 'some benefit to death' - Business Insider - January 24th, 2026 [January 24th, 2026]
- Airline offering sale on tickets for big idiot Elon Musk and his X users - pennlive.com - January 24th, 2026 [January 24th, 2026]
- Elon Musk: 'Everyone on Earth' will have a robot - Yahoo Finance - January 24th, 2026 [January 24th, 2026]
- Elon Musk Calls Ryanair CEO 'An Utter Idiot,' Floats Buying the Company - Yahoo Finance - January 24th, 2026 [January 24th, 2026]
- Elon Musk's X has so many long 'articles' lately. I'm not into it. - Business Insider - January 24th, 2026 [January 24th, 2026]
- Elon Musk is reportedly trying to take SpaceX public - Engadget - January 24th, 2026 [January 24th, 2026]
- Elon Musk says that in 10 to 20 years, work will be optional and money will be irrelevant thanks to AI and robotics - Fortune - January 24th, 2026 [January 24th, 2026]
- Elon Musk Says Hes an Alien But Thinks Humanity Might Be Alone in the Universe - entrepreneur.com - January 24th, 2026 [January 24th, 2026]
- Elon Musk Says Optimus Robots Are Coming Your Way. That Has Tesla Stock on the Rise. - Investopedia - January 24th, 2026 [January 24th, 2026]
- Forget the four-day workweek: Despite what Bill Gates and Elon Musk predict, the CEO of the worlds largest workspace provider says its not happening -... - January 24th, 2026 [January 24th, 2026]
- Elon Musk: U.S. could soon be producing more chips than we can turn on, a problem China doesnt have - Fortune - January 24th, 2026 [January 24th, 2026]
- Ryanair is embracing the feud with Elon Musk and says it's hand-delivering a ticket to X's Dublin office - Business Insider - January 24th, 2026 [January 24th, 2026]
- Elon Musk and Ryanairs CEO call each other idiots. The numbers say something else. - MarketWatch - January 24th, 2026 [January 24th, 2026]
- Elon Musk says Teslas restarted Dojo3 will be for space-based AI compute - TechCrunch - January 24th, 2026 [January 24th, 2026]
- Elon Musk just told Davos that Tesla will sell humanoid robots next year, really, he swears - Engadget - January 24th, 2026 [January 24th, 2026]
- Elon Musk: Tesla robotaxi will be 'widespread' in US before 2027 - Yahoo Finance - January 24th, 2026 [January 24th, 2026]
- Ryanair hits back at Elon Musk with Great Idiots sale - thestreet.com - January 24th, 2026 [January 24th, 2026]
- Elon Musk makes surprise Davos appearance in striking reversal - The Independent - January 24th, 2026 [January 24th, 2026]
- Elon Musk says humanoid robots could hit the market next year, helping with household chores - CBS News - January 24th, 2026 [January 24th, 2026]