Milan Kovac, one of the key technical leaders of Tesla, who led the development of the humanoid robot Optimus, announced his departure from the company after nine years of work. His decision was announced shortly after CEO Elon Musk announced that the Optimus project is capable of turning Tesla into a company with a market capitalization of $25 trillion.
Kovac joined Tesla in 2016, starting his career on the Autopilot team. From 2019 to 2022, he headed the development of autonomous driving software, after which he was transferred to the Optimus project. At the end of 2024, he assumed the position of vice president responsible for the entire program of creating humanoid robots. His departure was a significant event, given his key role in one of Tesla's most promising projects.
In an official statement, Kovac said that he made the decision for personal reasons: "I had to make one of the most difficult decisions in my life — to leave my position. I've been away from my family for too long and now I want to spend more time abroad. That's the only reason. My support for Elon Musk and the Tesla team remains complete."
Kovac's resignation comes amid growing attention for Optimus, a project to create a universal humanoid robot capable of performing a wide range of household and industrial tasks. Elon Musk previously stated that Optimus can bring the company up to $10 trillion in annual revenue and become the main source of Tesla's capitalization in the future.
According to the forecast of Morgan Stanley, by the middle of the XXI century, up to 1 billion humanoid robots can be used in the world. Analysts see Optimus as a potential catalyst for the formation of a multi-trillion-dollar industry, and the head of Nvidia called the project "the foundation of a new technological era."
However, the market remains in its infancy: according to industry research agencies, the humanoid robot segment is still estimated at several billion dollars, and consensus forecasts for 2032 range from $15 to $80 billion.
It should be noted that Kovac is not the only specialist who left the Optimus division in recent months. Previously, another experienced engineer left the company — Zachary Bernholz, who moved to Figure, a startup that also develops humanoid robots.
Despite the personnel changes, Tesla continues to maintain that the Optimus project is a strategic priority, and its implementation will continue.
