Tesla's bombshell CFO exit spoils pivot to more sober Elon Musk

There were plenty of reasons to suspect Musk would be more reined-in from now on

Elon Musk appeared to be putting the days of wildly optimistic goals and unpredictability in the rearview mirror. Then he spooked Tesla  investors with another surprise executive exit.

The chief executive officer vowed on an earnings call to cut costs and manage Tesla’s cash as it enters a slower-growth period. Instead of madcap Musk, investors heard from a more measured CEO who had just missed analysts’ estimates for quarterly profit. He even made multiple mentions of the possibility there could be a recession.

But after all the talk of tougher times and tightening the wallet, Musk’s penchant for blindsiding shareholders reemerged. With