Elon Musk fires one of his confidants at Tesla. Who is Omead Afshar?

Tech billionaire and Tesla CEO Elon Musk has fired one of his close aides, Omead Afshar.

Afshar, who was promoted less than a year ago, served as the president for manufacturing and operations at the car company.

He joined Tesla in 2017 and soon became one of Musk’s most trusted team members. He was closely involved in key projects, including the Texas Gigafactory.

Notably, his exit is the most recent in a series of top-level departures from Tesla in the past few weeks.

But who is Omead Afshar? Why was he fired?

Let’s take a look:

Who is Omead Afshar?

Afshar is an American citizen born to Iranian parents.

He studied Biomedical Engineering with a focus on Mechanical Engineering at the University of California, Irvine. He completed his graduation in 2009 and began his career as a ski instructor at Mammoth Mountain in California, according to International Business Times UK.

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Afshar joined Tesla in 2017 as a project manager in the Office of the CEO. He quickly aligned himself with Elon Musk’s plans and earned the billionaire’s trust, which helped him move up the ranks within the company.

One of his major contributions at Tesla was leading the development of the massive 10-million-square-foot Gigafactory in Texas, a key project that boosted Tesla’s growth and made Afshar as an important figure in the company’s leadership.

In 2022, he was named Vice President at SpaceX.

Afshar also played a part in Musk’s takeover of Twitter and its transformation into X. He was said to have helped reduce spending at the company, supporting Musk’s sharp and effective approach to restructuring, the report said.

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On Monday, Afshar shared on X that the robotaxi event in Austin was an “absolutely historic day for Tesla” and added: “Thank you, Elon, for pushing us all!”

Over the years, Afshar has spoken about working long hours and holidays with Musk, especially during the push to ramp up production of the Model 3 in 2018.

In a post from March, he recalled “living in the factory at this time, truly 24/7.”

Why was he fired?

Afshar was fired from his role at a time when Tesla is facing falling demand in Europe and North America . Reports say buyers are now choosing more affordable options offered by rival companies, while Tesla’s current models have started to look outdated.

People familiar with Tesla’s operations told Reuters that Afshar had taken on greater responsibility earlier this year while Musk focused on political matters in Washington.

This year, Musk was a part of US President Donald Trump’s cost-cutting campaign. Many investors and analysts believe this shift in focus took Musk’s attention away from Tesla and may have put off some potential customers.

Tesla’s main business, making cars, is going through one of its toughest periods in recent years. Sales have dropped across several markets, with growing competition, an ageing product line, and criticism of Musk’s links to Trump all contributing to the decline.

In the first quarter of this year, Tesla’s global vehicle deliveries dropped by 13%, and profits fell by 71%. The downward trend seems to be continuing.

Tesla’s sales in the European Union were down 40% in May, The Wall Street Journal reported. Data from the European Automobile Manufacturers Association, shared on Wednesday, showed that buyers are switching to local brands and lower-cost Chinese electric cars.

CNBC reported that Tesla’s stock is down 19% this year, performing worse than the Nasdaq and many other top tech firms.

On Sunday, Tesla rolled out self-driving taxis in Austin, Texas. But analysts have raised concerns that plans to expand into more cities could run into trouble due to questions over safety and the current state of the technology.

Afshar’s exit is part of a broader shake-up that has seen many senior staff leave Tesla over the past 14 months. These changes come as the company cuts thousands of jobs and shifts its focus towards artificial intelligence, self-driving systems, and robotics.

Those who have left recently include top figures in robotics, battery development, and public policy. Milan Kovac, head of the Optimus robot team, announced his exit this month. Battery chief Vineet Mehta left in May.