Tesla cofounder says he was 'basically unemployable' and out of money for 2 years after being ousted from the company
You might think one of the founders of Tesla, now one of the most valuable companies in the world, would have been in high demand when he was back on the job market, but Martin Eberhard"After I left Tesla, I was basically unemployable for about two years because of the intellectual-property agreement I had with Tesla and with Tesla being as litigious as they are," Eberhard told Insider.
Eberhard and his longtime friend Marc Tarpenning came up with the idea for Tesla during one of their weekly catch-ups, but Eberhard's contract with Tesla meant the company owned the rights to the work he produced at the electric-car maker. It also prohibited him from working with another automotive company for two years.He joined VW in fall 2009.
The Tesla cofounder lost his role as CEO of Tesla about three years after Elon Musk began investing in the electric-car maker. Eberhardthat Musk and Tesla's board had met behind his back and voted to replace him as CEO. Eberhard transitioned to the role of president of technology at Tesla but said he was moved off almost every responsibility, save for troubleshooting and a handful of peripheral issues.between Eberhard and Musk.
Musk has said Eberhard's departure was related to delays in the Tesla Roadster's production, as well as"It was not a question of personality differences, as the decision to have Martin transition to an advisory role was unanimous among the board," Musk."Tesla has operational problems that need to be solved and if the board thought there was any way that Martin could be part of the solution, then he would still be an employee of the company.
Musk did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Insider's emails to Tesla's press line seeking comment were not returned.
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