Tesla (TSLA) is getting ready for another leadership change as Elon Musk returns his attention to the company in the midst of a continuing dispute with President Donald Trump.
Due to the automaker’s recent forays into other technological fields, its executives have been constantly reminding investors that the company is more than just a car manufacturer. Musk has specifically praised Tesla’s Optimus program, which is its robotic humanoid technology development division.
The CEO of Tesla hasn’t minimised the company’s advancements in this field, calling its Optimus bot the “most sophisticated humanoid robot on earth” and pointing to a future where robots will outnumber people. Musk has stated that he thinks this is an inevitable stage of technology, even though it may sound like the plot of a science fiction book.
But there might be a new challenge to his robotic aspirations. The head of the program is reportedly departing Tesla.
With its leader leaving, Musk is placing a large wager on a split.
Apart from Musk, most of Tesla’s executives aren’t well-known because they usually work in the background, assisting in the development and oversight of the company’s numerous businesses. However, Milan Kovac announced on June 6 that he would be leaving his role as Optimus’s vice president of engineering.
Kovac outlined his future plans in a post on X, saying he felt compelled to travel overseas to spend more time with his family. He reiterated his support for Tesla and Musk, saying, “I want to make it clear that this is the only reason, and has absolutely nothing to do with anything else.”
Kovac began working for the company in 2016 as a staff software engineer in the Autopilot division of Tesla. After years of rising through the ranks, he was appointed director of Optimus and then vice president.
Kovac was instrumental in developing Tesla’s robotic humanoid and autopilot technologies during his tenure there. He assisted in guiding both divisions forward by “driving the engineering teams responsible for all the software foundations and infrastructure common between Optimus and Autopilot,” according to his LinkedIn profile.
Kovac’s exit appears to have been motivated solely by personal reasons and has nothing to do with any controversy involving Tesla or Musk. However, his quick departure coincides with a challenging moment for the business as it gets ready for an occasion that Musk has made a major part of its growth prospects.
Musk has long promised Tesla’s supporters and investors that the company will launch its fleet of self-driving robotaxis in Austin, Texas, on June 12.
