Elon’s Emotional Breakdown: The Tesla Supercharging Department Fiasco

Elon’s Emotional Breakdown: The Tesla Supercharging Department Fiasco

About a year ago, Elon Musk made a decision that many still can't quite wrap their heads around: he laid off the entire supercharging department at Tesla. This department was essential for Tesla’s growth, but the reasoning behind this drastic move wasn't exactly based on logic or business needs.

The drama started when Elon asked Rebecca Tunisi to increase the layoffs in her department from 15% to 20%. Given that the supercharging department was a major revenue generator for Tesla, and seeing the layoff decision as arbitrary and performative, Rebecca pushed back. But instead of considering her feedback, Elon saw it as insubordination—and that’s when he snapped into what he called “Demon Mode.”

His solution? Why not just lay off the entire department instead of just the 20%? And so, that's exactly what he did. But, as you can imagine, Elon quickly regretted his impulsive decision. He had to rehire many of those he had let go—even trying to bring back Rebecca. But she wasn’t having it, turning down the offer and moving to Uber instead.

Talk about a business blunder of emotional proportions.