‘I couldn’t support Elon Musk any longer…’: Tesla employee resigns after 7 years citing moral conflict with Musk

After seven years of working at Tesla’s Gigafactory in Nevada, former engineering technician Trae Cervantes has made the difficult decision to step away from the company, citing moral discomfort with CEO Elon Musk’s recent actions. Cervantes, who began his career as a production associate in 2018, steadily advanced to an engineering technician role before formally resigning in March 2025. His departure was not spurred by workplace conditions or job dissatisfaction, but rather by a growing unease over Musk’s political involvement and public conduct.

In an interview with Business Insider, Cervantes reflected on both the opportunities and challenges he experienced at Tesla.