Tesla's money man Vaibhav Taneja joins Musk's America Party as treasurer

Tesla CFO Vaibhav Taneja appointed Treasurer and Custodian of Records for Elon Musk's newly launched America Party, aimed at offering an alternative to the two-party political system

Tesla’s Chief Financial Officer, Vaibhav Taneja has been appointed the Treasurer and Custodian of Records for Elon Musk’s newly formed political organisation, the America Party. Taneja’s appointment comes a day after Elon Musk announced the formation of the America Party. The move follows a public disagreement with US President Donald Trump over the passage of a massive tax-cut and spending bill, the Financial Express reported. 

The legislation — called the ‘One, Big, Beautiful Bill’ by Trump — was signed last week. Musk, however, criticised the bill as “fiscally irresponsible” and a “betrayal” of efforts to reduce the size of government.   

 

 

Who is Tesla’s money man Vaibhav Taneja?

Indian-origin Vaibhav Taneja (47) is a Chartered Accountant and a commerce graduate from the University of Delhi. His career began at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), where he worked for 17 years in both India and the US from 1999 to 2016. 

He later joined SolarCity Corporation in 2016 as Vice-President and Corporate Controller. That same year, following Tesla’s acquisition of SolarCity, Taneja played a key role in integrating the accounting operations of the two companies. He joined Tesla in 2017 and rose steadily through the ranks, becoming Chief Accounting Officer in 2019 and Chief Financial Officer in August 2023. Taneja has also served as Director of Tesla India Motors and Energy Private Limited since 2021.   

 

Musk launches new political party

Musk unveiled the party on his social media platform X, citing an online poll in which 65.4 per cent of respondents supported the idea of launching a new political party. 

“By a factor of 2 to 1, you want a new political party and you shall have it! When it comes to bankrupting our country with waste & graft, we live in a one-party system, not a democracy. Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom,” Musk posted on X. 

By a factor of 2 to 1, you want a new political party and you shall have it!  When it comes to bankrupting our country with waste & graft, we live in a one-party system, not a democracy.  Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom. https://t.co/9K8AD04QQN

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 5, 2025

  On July 1, after the tax and spending bill was passed in the Senate, Musk posted on X, “If this insane spending bill passes, the America Party will be formed the next day. Our country needs an alternative to the Democrat-Republican uniparty so that the people actually have a VOICE.” 

After Musk announced the launch of his new party, Trump on Sunday brushed off Elon Musk’s newly formed America Party, calling it “ridiculous” and reaffirming his belief in the traditional two-party structure, Bloomberg reported.

 

Musk exits Trump orbit, sparks shift

When asked about Musk’s announcement, Trump said, “We’ve had tremendous success with the Republican Party. The Democrats have lost their way, but it’s always been a two-party system.” He went on to say that “starting a third party just adds to the confusion” and added, “Third parties have never worked. He can have fun with it.” 

The world’s richest man, once a prominent political donor to Donald Trump during the 2024 campaign, has gradually distanced himself from Trump. Musk previously led Trump’s short-lived Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) but resigned from the role in May this year. Since stepping down, Musk has become increasingly vocal in his criticism of Republican lawmakers and has warned that he may support an alternative political movement if Trump’s allies persist in backing his key economic proposal.