Was Tesla Trying to Replace Elon Musk as CEO? | Pivot

Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway discuss a Wall Street Journal report claiming Tesla’s board was searching for a successor to Elon Musk — a claim the company calls “absolutely false.” They also weigh in on Trump’s combative ABC interview, and his Grinch-like warning about fewer toys this holiday season. Plus, strong earnings from Meta and Microsoft, and Jeff Bezos bends the knee to Trump (But is anyone really surprised?). Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 6:46 Musk’s Successor at Tesla? 16:27 President Trump’s ABC Interview 23:19 Apple Violated Orders in Antitrust Case 26:58 Microsoft and Meta Earnings 35:32 Trump The Grinch 43:40 Trump vs. Amazon 49:09 Predictions #pivot #podcast #karaswisher #scottgalloway #elonmusk #tesla #donaldtrump #abc #terrymoran #apple #antitrust #epicgames #microsoft #meta #grinch #amazon #jeffbezos #kuiper Producers: Lara Naaman Zoë Marcus Taylor Griffin Kevin Oliver Video Editor: Jim Mackil Vox Media's Executive Producer of Podcasts: Nishat Kurwa Subscribe to Pivot on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pivot/id1073226719 Subscribe to Pivot on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4MU3RFGELZxPT9XHVwTNPR Follow us on Instagram and Threads at: https://www.instagram.com/pivotpodcastofficial Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@PIVOTPODCAST Send us your questions by calling us at 855-51-PIVOT, or at https://podcasts.voxmedia.com/show/pivot *Producer’s Note: Due to a fact check oversight, Scott states that Epic Games owns Minecraft. Epic, in fact, owns Fortnite. We regret the error.

Kara SwisherhostScott Gallowayhost

May 2, 202558mWatch on YouTube ↗

EPISODE INFO

Released: May 2, 2025
Duration: 58m
Channel: Pivot
Watch on YouTube: ▶ Open ↗

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway discuss a Wall Street Journal report claiming Tesla’s board was searching for a successor to Elon Musk — a claim the company calls “absolutely false.” They also weigh in on Trump’s combative ABC interview, and his Grinch-like warning about fewer toys this holiday season. Plus, strong earnings from Meta and Microsoft, and Jeff Bezos bends the knee to Trump (But is anyone really surprised?). Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 6:46 Musk’s Successor at Tesla? 16:27 President Trump’s ABC Interview 23:19 Apple Violated Orders in Antitrust Case 26:58 Microsoft and Meta Earnings 35:32 Trump The Grinch 43:40 Trump vs. Amazon 49:09 Predictions #pivot #podcast #karaswisher #scottgalloway #elonmusk #tesla #donaldtrump #abc #terrymoran #apple #antitrust #epicgames #microsoft #meta #grinch #amazon #jeffbezos #kuiper Producers: Lara Naaman Zoë Marcus Taylor Griffin Kevin Oliver Video Editor: Jim Mackil Vox Media's Executive Producer of Podcasts: Nishat Kurwa Subscribe to Pivot on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pivot/id1073226719 Subscribe to Pivot on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4MU3RFGELZxPT9XHVwTNPR Follow us on Instagram and Threads at: https://www.instagram.com/pivotpodcastofficial Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@PIVOTPODCAST Send us your questions by calling us at 855-51-PIVOT, or at https://podcasts.voxmedia.com/show/pivot *Producer’s Note: Due to a fact check oversight, Scott states that Epic Games owns Minecraft. Epic, in fact, owns Fortnite. We regret the error.

SPEAKERS

Kara Swisher
host
Scott Galloway
host
Narrator
other

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of Pivot, featuring Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway, Was Tesla Trying to Replace Elon Musk as CEO? | Pivot explores tesla Board Turmoil, Tech Earnings Boom, And Trump’s Economic Chaos Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway dissect reports that Tesla’s board quietly explored replacing Elon Musk or forcing him to recommit to Tesla amid falling sales, political distractions, and a barren product pipeline—despite official denials. They broaden this into a critique of Musk’s governance, board complicity, and how leaks signal severe internal concern. The conversation then shifts to Trump’s chaotic early-term tariffs, his combative media appearances, and attempts to blame Biden for a contracting economy, while minimizing the impact of toy and consumer shortages. Finally, they analyze blockbuster earnings from Microsoft and Meta, a major antitrust setback for Apple’s App Store, Bezos’s capitulation to Trump over Amazon’s tariff transparency plan, and emerging satellite-internet competition for SpaceX’s Starlink.

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