June 7, 2025 – Tesla’s humanoid robot project, Optimus, is set to undergo a leadership change as Milan Kovac, the engineering head of the initiative, prepares to depart the company. According to sources familiar with the matter cited by Bloomberg, Kovac informed his team of his immediate resignation on Friday. The reins of the project will now be handed over to Ashok Elluswamy, who currently leads Tesla’s Autopilot division.
Kovac later took to X to confirm his departure, describing it as “the toughest decision of my life,” driven by a desire to spend more time with his family. “My support for @elonmusk and the team remains unwavering, and I am confident in their ability to propel Optimus to new heights,” he wrote. “My departure now will not change that.”
Elon Musk, in a social media post on June 2, referred to Kovac and Elluswamy as “key figures” in Tesla’s AI team, emphasizing their long-standing contributions to the company.
Last October, Tesla captivated investors with a dazzling demonstration of the Optimus prototype in Los Angeles, where the robot was shown mixing drinks and interacting with guests. However, it was later revealed that some of the robot’s functions during the event were remotely controlled.
Musk has high hopes for Optimus, envisioning it as a household assistant capable of handling a wide range of tasks and potentially becoming “the most important product ever made.” He estimates that the final retail price of the robot could range between 20,000and30,000 per unit.
The progress of Optimus has been a focal point for investors since its early prototype was unveiled in 2022, requiring human assistance to be presented on stage, which sparked skepticism.
Brett Winton, the chief futurist at Ark Invest and a significant Tesla shareholder, noted that while Optimus is not currently included in their five-year forecast models, they are closely monitoring the market implications of the technology’s rapid evolution.
In an interview with Bloomberg TV, Winton commented, “Working with Elon Musk is no easy feat, given his relentless pursuit of efficiency. He doesn’t accept timelines like ‘six months from now’; he wants things done ‘within 24 hours.’ This intense pace keeps the team hyper-focused, which is essential for achieving breakthroughs.”
During a recent earnings call, Musk expressed optimism about Optimus’s future, projecting that thousands of the robots would be operational in Tesla’s internal factories by the end of this year. He further forecasted that the company could be producing millions of units annually by the end of the decade.
