Tesla AI chief Milan Kovac leaves after 9 years leading FSD development

Tesla’s VP of AI and Optimus Engineering Milan Kovac announced his departure from the company this week after nine years leading the development of Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology and the Optimus humanoid robot program. The resignation of the Belgian engineer, who was instrumental in Tesla’s autonomous driving evolution since 2016, represents another high-profile executive exit as the company consolidates its AI leadership under Ashok Elluswamy, Tesla’s director of Autopilot software.

What you should know: Kovac cited family obligations as his primary reason for leaving, emphasizing his need to spend more time with family abroad after years away from home.

• He joined Tesla in 2016 during a pivotal moment when the company launched its second-generation Autopilot system built on Nvidia’s Drive PX2 platform.
• Kovac personally handled the complex migration of code and functionality from Tesla’s original Autopilot 1.0 system to the new architecture.
• With his departure, Ashok Elluswamy will assume responsibility for both the FSD program and Optimus robot initiatives, consolidating Tesla’s AI development under single oversight.

Key technical contributions: Kovac earned recognition as one of Tesla’s Autopilot “Three Musketeers” alongside Andrej Karpathy, the OpenAI co-founder, and Ashok Elluswamy for his role in developing the company’s first in-house FSD chip.

• By 2018, he had become central to Tesla’s HW 3.0 chip development, leading engineering efforts from initial installation to mass production across Tesla’s entire vehicle lineup.
• The transition required coordinating hardware integration with software optimization across multiple vehicle platforms simultaneously.
• His technical expertise extended from core Autopilot engineering to leading the Optimus robotics division, which he described as building “an entire platform: hardware & software all at once” from minimal initial resources.

Executive tensions revealed: Kovac’s relationship with Elon Musk wasn’t always smooth, as documented in Walter Isaacson’s biography of the Tesla CEO.

• During preparations for Tesla’s 2021 AI Day presentation, tensions reached a breaking point when Musk harshly criticized Kovac’s technical presentation slides, calling them “So boring!”
• Tesla executives Lars Moravy and Pete Bannon intervened to prevent Kovac’s resignation, helping restructure the presentation after sharing drinks.
• The incident illustrates the intense pressure and expectations that define Tesla’s executive environment, where technical excellence must align with Musk’s vision for public communication and talent acquisition.

The bigger picture: Executive departures aren’t unusual at Tesla, with former leaders including J.B. Straubel, Jerome Guillen, and Doug Field having moved on without causing major operational disruptions.

• However, Kovac’s technical contributions span nearly a decade of Tesla’s most ambitious AI projects, making his departure particularly significant for the company’s autonomous driving and robotics ambitions.
• The consolidation of AI leadership under Elluswamy suggests Tesla is streamlining its technical organization as it advances both FSD and Optimus programs.

What they’re saying: In his departure announcement, Kovac maintained strong support for Musk and the Tesla team while explaining his personal decision.

• “I’ve been far away from home for too long, and will need to spend more time with family abroad,” he explained.
• Musk’s response acknowledged Kovac’s decade-long contributions while expressing gratitude for his technical leadership.