The letter is purportedly from disgruntled Tesla employees who want Elon Musk to stop being CEO so the company can go back to sell more of electric vehicles. According to the latest report Musk’s involvement in the US government (DOGE) has damaged Tesla’s brand so much that he should step back as CEO.

Even if this is a made-up missive, it raises an interesting question: Why should CEO of the world’s most valuable car company step down after political dalliances when the electric vehicle battle has just entered a new, crucial stage?

He spent the last decade working his butt off to pull Tesla out of near bankruptcy and turn it into the dominant EV Company in the world. There was a lot of innovation and many sleepless nights for him for this new high for Tesla.

Right now, there is no heir apparent within the Tesla hierarchy. No one is poised to take over if CEO Elon Musk decides to call it quits and focus on some of his other companies or his music career. Tesla is Musk. His hands are in everything.

He dismantled the PR department and is disseminating company news via Twitter. Adding the Falcon Wing doors to the Model X was his last-minute idea. He was adamant that the company could build a car factory that was almost entirely automated. He also implemented the ability to pay with Cryptocurrency, then took the option away and then reintroduced it for Tesla vehicles and services.

Musk admits that he drives most new programs at the company, “not because I want to, but because I have to.” That deep level of involvement early on in a company’s history is helpful. But if the future of the company relies on building quality products, one person ruling over everything can be disastrous.

For years, Apple’s business was deeply successes with its CEO, Steve Jobs. He pulled the company from almost bankruptcy. He with his team built a company that helped launch the smartphone revolution. It’s safe to say there would be no Apple without Jobs. But a company can’t be one person forever.

Tim Cook joined Apple in 1998 as the senior vice president for worldwide operations, essentially day-to-day management of the whole company. In 2011, he was named CEO of Apple ahead of Steve Jobs’ death. Under his leadership, Cook has more than doubled revenue and profit for the company. Cook does not have the vision of Jobs. But he hires smart people to do their job and makes sure that Apple continues to be profitable and deliver quality products.

Tesla needs a Tim Cook. The automaker need a leader that can continue to deliver fun features like fart noises and video games and is also laser focused on making sure vehicles are delivered on time to customers without issues and delays. Tesla needs to make sure that for years to come; its customers have readily accessible service centers and can replace their vehicle on time.

The automaker may be riding high on profits, but without proper caring, Tesla’s EV dominance could be usurped by one of its rivals. Musk isn’t really the caring type. Under his rule, vehicle deliveries are at an all-time high, but they’re still being met with continued reports of issues with vehicle build quality. That’s a problem that Musk should have been solved years ago.

Recent reports show that Tesla has been delivering vehicles without a redundant steering controller and failing to inform buyers of this missing item. That controller is needed if the vehicles are to be FSD-ready. That type of decision erodes customer loyalty and turns away others looking to enter the brand.