Tesla shares have fallen 44% since the start of the year amid a hardship in sales and CEO Elon Musk’s involvement in Doge. But workers say they are not troubled by the stock prices of the automaker.
Tesla stocks challenge slower sales, increased competition and the fear of CEOs busy spending time in Washington, DC. So far, 2025 looks like the electric car company Annus horribilis.
You don’t know that from talking to employees.
The sharply falling stock performance is “only a concern if you’re a short-term investor,” said one Tesla worker in the company’s sales division. “It feels like we’re in a storm right now, but I personally feel very confident in the company.”
Business Insider spoke with 10 Tesla employees across various roles and locations these days. All but one person – workers who left this year – are still nine Tesla stocks along with the company. They spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid professional retaliation. The conversation revealed how some within the company are weathering their recent awful stock performance.
Common emotions? Shrug.
Several people pointed out the fact that the company’s shares have risen about 30% since this period last year. Over the past five years, it has exceeded 800%.
Four workers said they were actively eschewing stock prices. “If you watch every day, you’ll make yourself crazy,” said the Texas-based employee. Employees added that there is a lack of employee control, including many variables that could affect their market performance: CEO Elon Musk’s deal.
Attitudes appear to be similar in informal company forums where some employees discuss stock performance. Five employees said the workers were not posting anything normal. Channels with thousands of users are often used to share tweets and news articles about Tesla.
One Nevada-based worker said the atmosphere inside is far from “depressing” or “anxiety.”
A Tesla spokesman did not respond to requests for comment.
Historically, equity grants have played a major role in Tesla compensation, but some workers have seen it as one of the company’s most attractive features. Musk said in 2023 that the company had people put billionaires on Tesla’s factory line.
“Because I think people who want to work at Tesla definitely get richer and stocks faster, but those people don’t last long,” the former worker said.
Two other workers said the stock’s volatility has tweaked them towards long-term cash options. This allowed employees to win cash awards, usually paid over four years.
In general, Tesla offers a lower base salary than its technical and auto peers, according to its 2021 internal pay sheet, but offers substantial stock grant opportunities.
In 2024, Tesla granted workers an estimated $26.9 billion of restricted stock units and approximately $3.5 billion of stock options, according to its annual report.
Two workers said they felt Tesla’s stock price was the least of workers’ concerns. Automakers are facing an onslaught of protests with Donald Trump and the government’s efficiency department.
In February, the New York Times reported that Tesla manager Jared Ottoman was fired after criticising one of Musk’s social media posts that referenced Nazi leaders.
“How often do you think about your CEO?” said one engineer who said he was frustrated by the question about masks. “Are you personally responsible for their actions?”
Still, eight workers said they felt generally optimistic about the company’s future.
“That’s an old story,” one manager said. “Eron has always been in this controversial space, but if the product is good enough, there are people who will buy it anyway.”
Do you work for Tesla or do you have a tip? Please contact the reporter via non-working emails and devices at gkay@businessinsider.com or via encrypted messaging platform signals at 248-894-6012.
