Tesla without Elon Musk? Board faces unique challenge whether he stays or goes

Seldom have a company's fortunes depended more heavily on the persona of its CEO

Tesla CEO Elon Musk Picture: Patrick Pleul/AP

Tesla's board on Thursday rushed to defend CEO Elon Musk, assuring he had the board's confidence amid rising investor worries about his prolonged absences, polarising politics, and the electric vehicle (EV) maker's plunging sales and profit.

The board reacted after a Wall Street Journal report that it had considered replacing Musk, which board chair Robyn Denholm denied.