Tesla is bleeding, also in the United States

Raj Jegannathan, Vice President of Tesla, has announced his departure from the company after 13 years, in a context marked by a notable talent exodus at the upper levels and a poor perception of the brand by the public.

His departure marks the second resignation of a sales leader at Tesla in less than a year, following the dismissal of Troy Jones in July 2025. In his LinkedIn message, Jegannathan reflected on his journey at the company, which spanned various areas, from artificial intelligence infrastructure to sales and service.

Despite his extensive experience in technology, the decision to place Jegannathan at the helm of sales in North America suggested a lack of qualified internal candidates or a perception that the issues in sales were more operational than strategic.

Tesla faces a very difficult 2026

Jegannathan’s departure adds to a growing list of high-ranking executives leaving Tesla, coinciding with a 3% decrease in annual revenue reported by the company for 2025, the first year-on-year decline recorded in its history.

This situation is complicated by the aging of Tesla’s vehicle lineup, a factor that has contributed to the slowdown in sales, while a possible decline in demand has also been noted, linked to the political activities of CEO Elon Musk.

Recently, the closeness between Musk and the criminal Jeffrey Epstein has added tension to the corporate atmosphere and may be related to the talent drain.

The challenges in Tesla’s sales department seem strong and evident, and the lack of consolidated leadership could pose a significant obstacle on the path to the company’s recovery.

With two releases in such a short period, the leadership in sales in North America has become an unstable position, raising questions about Tesla’s ability to effectively address its demand issues.