Former Tesla employee reveals reason for leaving: “Elon Musk”

Samet Kelebek

September 12, 2025

While Elon Musk remains in the news, he made headlines today after causing an employee to leave. Giorgio Balestrieri, a senior engineer who worked in Tesla’s energy storage department for eight years, announced his departure. In his farewell letter shared on LinkedIn, Balestrieri clearly stated the reason for his departure: Elon Musk. Here are the details.

Tesla’s Senior Engineer Targets Elon Musk in His Exit Letter

The engineer stated that he believed Musk was undermining the company’s mission and jeopardizing his leadership. Balestrieri achieved great success throughout his career at Tesla. Working as a data analyst in the energy storage unit and then as an algorithm engineer on Autobidder (Tesla’s real-time trading and control platform for energy assets), Balestrieri played a critical role in the development of energy storage systems.

Despite all these accomplishments, Balestrieri made it clear that Elon Musk was at the root of his decision to leave:

“Frankly, the main reason I’m leaving is because I believe Elon has done great harm to Tesla’s mission (and the health of democratic institutions in many countries). However, Elon’s leadership and decision-making appear to be seriously compromised. Given his large (and inexplicably growing) stake in the company, I can no longer believe this is the right place to be. This isn’t just about politics; it’s about lying to the public, manipulating public discourse, targeting minorities, and supporting climate change deniers and political forces aligned with the oil and gas industry.”

Balestrieri added that he believes the current administration in the US is slowing down the energy transition and that speed is crucial to avoiding the worst consequences of climate change. This farewell letter once again demonstrated Balestrieri’s personal stance and his belief in Tesla’s mission.

So, what are your thoughts on this? You can share your thoughts in the comments.