All about Raj Jegannathan, the Indian-origin Tesla V-P who reported to Elon Musk exits after 13 years

Raj Jegannathan, a prominent vice president at Tesla, has announced his departure from the company after an impressive 13-year tenure. In a heartfelt LinkedIn post shared on Monday, Jegannathan described his journey at the helm of the innovative company, led by Elon Musk, as one marked by 'continuous evolution'. Reflecting on his time at Tesla, he highlighted his involvement in the technical complexities of designing and managing one of the largest AI clusters in the industry, as well as his significant contributions across IT, security, sales, and service sectors. 'It has been a privilege to serve,' he stated, emphasizing the importance of a comprehensive understanding of business operations in effectively leveraging AI for impactful results. As he prepared to move on, Jegannathan expressed gratitude towards his colleagues, stating, 'To the teams: You are exceptional. Thank you for being partners and for teaching something new every day.' He left without disclosing his future plans, but he conveyed his excitement for the next chapter in his career. Raj Jegannathan began his journey with Tesla in 2012 as a technical expert in cloud security and IT. Over the years, he climbed the ranks to become Vice President of IT, AI Infrastructure, Applications, and Information Security. Prior to Tesla, he held senior positions at major technology firms, including a role as Senior Product Manager at Oracle and working with Microsoft's Azure team on AI-driven insights. In terms of education, Jegannathan completed his B.Sc. in Computer Science in 2004 and an MCA in Computer Science in 2007, both in Tamil Nadu, India, before earning an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business. During his time at Tesla, he managed various responsibilities, including overseeing sales in North America and IT functions, especially AI infrastructure. Notably, he was one of the select executives who reported directly to Elon Musk. His departure follows a trend of high-profile exits from the company, which has included other senior leaders in recent years. Although the reasons for his exit were not specified, it was noted that he had become less active on internal company systems since January.