Elon Musk Says “I Plan to Stay as CEO of Tesla Unless I Get Fired or Die”

Elon Musk says he’s not going anywhere. At least not from Tesla (TSLA). Speaking at the Qatar Economic Forum, the billionaire said he plans to remain CEO for the next five years — unless, in his words, “I die.”

The comments come as Musk also vows to drastically cut back on political spending. “I’m going to do a lot less in the future,” he said. “I think I’ve done enough.”

That’s a pivot from 2024, when Musk leaned heavily into politics — publicly backing Trump, boosting down-ballot conservatives, and wading into a controversial judicial race in Wisconsin. The push didn’t pan out, but it put Musk front and center in debates over billionaire influence.

Tesla Stock Slides as Musk Faces Backlash

The timing isn’t random. Tesla shares have tumbled almost 15% this year, and deliveries cratered 13% in Q1. Many on Wall Street blamed the decline on Musk’s political distractions, and some analysts feared he was taking his eye off the wheel. His pledge to stick around — and scale back political involvement — may be a move to win investors back.

Shares did get a brief boost after the Qatar comments, climbing 3.3% before settling just 1% higher. Still, TSLA stock is far from its 2023 highs.

Musk Insists Tesla Demand Is Still Strong

Despite the slip, Musk insisted Tesla has already “turned around.” Demand, he said, remains strong outside Europe. But he also hinted at what really matters to him — control. “As long as I have reasonable control of the company, I plan to stay,” he said.

Musk also reiterated that he’s not looking to sell off any more Tesla shares, trying to put long-term investors at ease. The question now is whether his comments will reset the narrative — or if Wall Street still wants to see delivery data do the talking.

Is Tesla Stock Expected to Rise?

Right now, Wall Street isn’t overly confident. According to TipRanks, Tesla (TSLA) carries a “Hold” rating based on 37 analyst reviews in the past three months. Of those, 16 rate the stock a Buy, 10 say Hold, and 11 have it marked as a Sell — not exactly a unified bull camp.

The average 12-month TSLA price target sits at $277.78, implying a 20.24% downside from Tesla’s latest close at $348.27. The high end of forecasts goes as far as $450, while the most bearish outlook sits all the way down at $19.05.

That kind of spread shows just how split analysts are — and how much Tesla’s future depends on execution, margin pressure, and Musk’s ability to steer through political noise and growing EV competition.

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