(KRON) — A Tesla engineer in Spain who quit the EV maker took to LinkedIn to make it clear that the main reason he left was down to the company’s CEO. Giorgio Balestrieri, a Madrid-based engineer, worked for Tesla for eight years.
Last week, he posted on the job networking site that “after 8 years at breakneck speed,” he’d made the “very difficult decision to move on.” Balestrieri, who according to his profile, joined Tesla in 2017, went on to thank the people he’d worked with over the years.
“People — this crazy lot of bright, humble, ambitious, hard-working people — are what makes Tesla special,” he said. “I am thankful beyond words to the many colleagues and leaders I’ve worked with and learned from over years.”
Except one, apparently. After delving into the evolution of the energy and EV industry in Europe, where he worked for the company, Balestrieri went on to address why he left.
“All this being said, I do need to address the elephant in the room: the main reason I’m leaving is that I think Elon has dealt huge damage to Tesla’s mission (and to the health of democratic institutions in several countries),” he wrote. “Beyond that, Elon’s leadership and decision making seem seriously compromised.”
“Given his huge (and growing, inexplicably) stake in Tesla, I can’t convince myself anymore that this is the right place to be,” he continued. “This is not just about politics: it’s about lying to the public, manipulating public discourses, targeting minorities and supporting climate change deniers and political forces aligned with the oil and gas industry.”
“I think it’s fairly indisputable that the current U.S. administration is slowing down the energy transition,” he added. Unfortunately, speed is critical if we are to avert the worst consequences of climate change.”
Balestrieri went on to wish the best to employees “who will stick around and keep working to accelerate the transition to sustainable energy.”
“I hope the best for Tesla and Tesla Energy,” he said.
Tesla saw its market share plummet earlier this year, in part due to the backlash against Musk’s association with President Donald Trump. However, this week, in the aftermath of the pair’s very public falling out, the EV maker saw its stock surge following news that Musk himself had purchased $1 billion in Tesla shares.
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