Tesla employee quits job after 7 years. Reason? Elon Musk
30 Jun 2025

Trae Cervantes, a former engineering technician at Tesla, had quit after over seven years with the company.

He worked at Tesla's Gigafactory in Nevada from 2018 until March 2023.

Cervantes started as a production associate and quickly climbed the ranks due to Tesla's career growth opportunities and better pay, even without formal education.

However, Tesla CEO Elon Musk's involvement in X and politics had disillusioned Cervantes, resulting in his decision to leave the firm.

Initially loyal to Musk and his mission
Career progression

Cervantes described his physically demanding 12-hour shifts, which were balanced by ample time off.

He was initially loyal to Musk and the company's mission, even after some of Musk's controversial actions like smoking weed on The Joe Rogan Experience.

However, this loyalty started to wane as Musk became more involved in X and politics, which Cervantes felt was distracting from Tesla's core mission.

Cervantes's disillusionment grew over time
Departure

Cervantes's disillusionment peaked with Musk's "giveaway for prospective voters," which he found morally wrong.

He also felt ashamed of an incident where the Tesla CEO appeared to make a "Nazi salute."

This led him to research more about Musk and the firm's unfulfilled promises like full self-driving.

Eventually, he decided to leave Tesla without another job lined up, saying he couldn't compromise his values by working there anymore.

Tesla allegedly becoming less about innovation
Corporate shift

Cervantes also spoke about Tesla's changing culture under Musk's leadership. He said the company was becoming less about innovation and more about Musk's political ambitions. This sentiment is echoed by other ex-employees who have resigned amid growing discontent with the company's direction and Musk's behavior.