Indian-origin Vaibhav Taneja becomes Tesla’s new Chief Financial Officer

Delhi University graduate Vaibhav Taneja has been appointed as the new Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of billionaire Elon Musk's firm Tesla, the world's largest electric vehicle manufacturer.

Vaibhav Taneja has served in various finance and accounting positions since 2016 at SolarCity Corporation – a US-based solar panel developer acquired by Tesla. Photo courtesy: Vaibhav Taneja Linkedin

The 45-year-old was appointed to the position after Zachary Kirkhorn resigned on Tuesday.

Vaibhav Taneja, who graduated from Delhi University in 1999, has served in various finance and accounting positions since 2016 at SolarCity Corporation – a US-based solar panel developer acquired by Tesla in that year, said media reports.

Taneja earlier worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers in India and the US. 

Outgoing CFO Zachary Kirkhorn served the company for 13 years.

"This morning Tesla announced that I’ve stepped down from my role as Chief Financial Officer, succeeded by our Chief Accounting Officer, Vaibhav Taneja," Zachary Kirkhorn wrote on Linkedin.

He said, "Being a part of this company is a special experience and I’m extremely proud of the work we’ve done together since I joined over 13 years ago."

He said: "As I shift my responsibilities to support this transition, I want to thank the talented, passionate, and hard-working employees at Tesla, who have accomplished things many thought not possible. I also want to thank Elon for his leadership and optimism, which has inspired so many people."

On the resignation of Kirkhorn, Elon Musk posted on X: "I would like to thank Zach Kirkhorn for his many contributions to Tesla over the course of 13 often difficult years. Much appreciated and best wishes for the next stage of his career," Musk said in a post on X.