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Optimus program head Milan Kovac leaves Tesla; Ashok Elluswamy takes over
Milan Kovac, who led Tesla's Optimus humanoid robot program since 2022 after nearly 10 years at the company, departed citing family reasons. Ashok Elluswamy, Tesla's VP of AI software and Autopilot, took over the program as Elon Musk projected deploying thousands of robots in Tesla factories by year-end.
- Kovac spent 10 years at Tesla, leading Optimus since late 2024; cited family relocation as reason for departure
- Elluswamy previously headed Tesla's AI and Autopilot teams; now leads both Optimus and autonomous driving software
- Leadership transition coincides with Musk's target of 'thousands' of robots in Tesla factories by year-end 2025