Senior xAI and Tesla staff depart amid burnout and politics
A wave of resignations among senior employees at Elon Musk's xAI and Tesla has been linked to burnout and unease over the CEO's political views. Reports highlight how the demanding work culture and public stances are driving talent away. This exodus comes at a critical time for both companies' AI and electric vehicle ambitions.
In recent months, several high-level staffers at xAI and Tesla have left their positions, citing exhaustion from relentless work demands and growing discomfort with Elon Musk's outspoken political positions. The departures, first detailed in a September 2025 Ars Technica report, underscore tensions within Musk's empire as it pushes boundaries in artificial intelligence and sustainable transportation.
xAI, founded by Musk in 2023 to rival companies like OpenAI, has seen key engineers depart. Among them is Igor Babuschkin, a former DeepMind researcher who joined xAI early on but resigned in August 2025. An anonymous former xAI employee told Ars Technica, "The burnout is real—80-hour weeks are the norm, and there's no work-life balance." This individual also pointed to Musk's vocal support for certain political figures and policies, including his endorsements on social media, as a tipping point. "Many of us came for the tech, not the politics," the source added.
Tesla, Musk's flagship electric vehicle company, is experiencing similar outflows. Senior autonomy engineers, crucial for the firm's self-driving initiatives, have jumped ship to competitors like Waymo and Cruise. One Tesla executive, speaking off the record, attributed the exits to a combination of factors: "Elon's Twitter rants on politics create a divisive atmosphere, and the pressure to deliver on impossible timelines leads to burnout." Tesla's headquarters in Austin, Texas, has been a hub for these departures, with at least five senior roles vacated since July 2025.
Background context reveals a pattern. Musk's acquisition of Twitter (now X) in 2022 amplified his political commentary, often clashing with progressive-leaning tech talent. xAI's mission to "understand the true nature of the universe" has attracted top minds, but the company's rapid scaling—hiring over 100 employees in its first year—has strained resources. Tesla, meanwhile, faces regulatory scrutiny over its Full Self-Driving software, adding to internal pressures.
The implications are significant. Analysts warn that losing seasoned professionals could delay xAI's Grok AI model updates and hinder Tesla's robotaxi rollout planned for 2026. Balanced perspectives from industry observers note that while Musk's vision drives innovation, the personal toll on staff is evident. Recruiters report increased interest from departing talent, signaling a broader talent war in AI and EVs.
No official statements from xAI or Tesla address the resignations directly, but Musk has previously defended his management style on X, tweeting in 2024, "Hardcore work ethic is necessary to change the world." As the companies navigate this churn, questions linger about sustaining growth without alienating their workforce.