In 2016, Tesla signed a certain Milan Kovac to fill a position within the brand's fledgling autonomous driving program, Autopilot. Behind this branch, a driverless car that has never seen the light of day until now, but also work on the robotization side. Between 2019 and 2022, the media outlet Electrek recalled that his progression in the hierarchy was crucial, and allowed him, three years ago, to switch to the Optimus program, dedicated to a future humanoid robot, capable of standing on its own two legs and replacing humans in their professional and household tasks.
It was in 2024 that he received the title of vice president at Tesla. On this occasion, he took the reins of the entire Optimus program. A significant transfer, while at the same time, Elon Musk began to extol the merits of his humanoid robot and line up numerous promises, in terms of the robot's capabilities and business hopes. It's simple, the Tesla CEO claimed that his Optimus robot would generate $10 trillion in revenue per year, boosting the Texas company to a valuation of $25 trillion, more than any other on Earth.
Analysts do not agree with the billionaire, but still estimate that the market for humanoid robots should swell between $15 and $80 billion by 2032.
Milan Kovac will not experience these figures closely, having just announced on June 6 that he would be leaving his position. He quickly gave the reasons: "This week, I had to make the most difficult decision of my life and I will be leaving my position. I have been away from home for too long, and I now need to spend more time with my family abroad. I want to make it clear that this is the sole reason for my departure, and that there is absolutely no other motivation."
The message is clear, but particularly careful, perhaps too much so, which underlines a very thoughtful, even monitored, communication. The man added, so as not to upset analysts and the media: "My support for Elon Musk and the team is unwavering - Team Tesla forever." This support is not being withheld from the brand, which has been shaken by Elon Musk's troubles regarding his role in government, and more recently his feud with Donald Trump, which threatens the American electric car industry.
The Tesla Optimus robot in production, really?
Last April, Tesla reached a milestone in terms of its humanoid robot, with a first video showing Optimus being assembled in a factory. It showed a production line, while the manufacturer announced that it planned to launch several thousand units by the end of the year. The video was released at a strategic moment: in the middle of the presentation of the first quarter results, while sales figures collapsed to levels that were inconceivable for investors last year. Since the beginning of the year, its stock has fallen by 21%.
Source: Electrek
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