No. of Recommendations: 13
How many people buying a car really care about ?being associated with a CEO?, whatever he might represent? I would think that this doesn't usually matter at all. For some Tesla purchasers, it obviously matters, but I suspect that's not true for a majority of them.
I don't think anyone is claiming that a majority of potential Tesla vehicle purchasers are balking as a result of Musk's toxicity, but my sense is that it's quickly becoming a nontrivial number. (I include myself among them.) We've already seen how Trump's name on a building (or anything else) has gone from being a net plus to a net minus, and my impression is that Musk has reached that point, too.
For many people, their vehicle is an extension of their personal identity. It's not like buying a bag of chips. Moreover, it's fair to say that Tesla's brand and image are far more closely tied to Musk than is any other product to its CEO.
Musk's relentless unloading of Tesla shares to finance his Twitter affliction is another concern.
