Elon Musk became Tesla’s chief executive officer in 2008.
Tesla was founded in 2003, and Musk joined its board as chairman in 2004 after investing in the young company. He became CEO in 2008, during a difficult period that included the global financial crisis and major pressure on Tesla’s finances.
Musk’s appointment followed Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning’s founding roles and the departure of several early executives. Under Musk, Tesla expanded from the Roadster program into a broader electric-vehicle company with the Model S, Model X, Model 3, and later vehicles.
This date is sometimes confused with 2004, the year Musk first joined Tesla’s board, or 2003, the year Tesla was founded. Those events are different: Musk became chairman in 2004 and CEO four years later.