Elon Musk, the world’s second richest man and CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, Twitter, and other projects, has spoken out on succession planning and the engagement of his children in his businesses. Musk recently expressed his concerns and explained his plans for the future of his firms in a statement.
Musk spoke with the Wall Street Journal about his succession plans and the future of his enterprises. The millionaire shared his misgivings about delegating authority to his offspring. Musk has struggled with succession planning for a long time. During his introduction, he stated that “succession is one of the toughest age-old problems.”
Contrary to customary practice, Musk stated that distributing shares to his children, regardless of their desire or competence to operate the company, would be a mistake.
“I am not of the mind that automatically gives my children a stake in the company, even if they have no interest, inclination, or ability to manage it.” That, I believe, is a mistake.”
Rather, Musk advocated the formation of an educational organization that would govern his voting shares. In doing so, he hopes to solve the complicated subject of succession and guarantee that suitable persons are chosen to executive positions in the event of unforeseen occurrences. Musk also acknowledged that he has identified prospective successors and has communicated his recommendations with the boards of his firms.
“I’ve identified specific individuals to whom I’ve told the board, ‘If something happens to me unexpectedly, this is my recommendation for taking over,'” Musk added. “So the board is aware of who my recommendation is in all cases.”
Musk’s emphasis on meritocracy may also contribute to the belief that his offspring will not inherit his fortune. Despite the fact that he has nine children, including his 3-year-old son X AE A-XII, whom he frequently promotes at events, Musk thinks that inheritance should be based on desire, inclination, and skill rather than bloodlines.
The wealthy entrepreneur has been active in several companies, including Tesla and Twitter, where he served as CEO. He just selected a new CEO for Twitter, allowing him to return his emphasis to Tesla.
Musk went on to convey his passion for India, saying that the country is “interesting.” This is consistent with the automaker’s goal to create a manufacturing facility in the nation, which was confirmed by Information Technology Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar.
Tesla has been increasing its global output, including previous announcements concerning the establishment of a Gigafactory in Mexico. Musk also suggested that a new production location might be chosen before the end of the year.