[revel]

The CFO leaving is always a big deal. It can mean nothing but it can also mean a really spectacular blowup is about to take place.

[wpietri]

Exactly. Since CFOs are in charge of the numbers and can be legally on the hook for them [1], their departure always gets people to perk up a bit. Even if there isn't crime involved, when they guy who knows the financials best decides he'd rather be elsewhere, it can be a sign that there's a coming plateau or downturn.

That's especially interesting in the case of Tesla, whose stock is down something like 40% from peak, and who is facing increasingly stiff competition from basically every automaker in the world.

[1] e.g., "fraud by negligence": https://www.reuters.com/business/sec-charges-smart-window-ma...

[andreygrehov]

It's always a big deal, but can also mean nothing? So, pure speculation?

[cududa]

The vast majority of the time it’s a big deal, which makes it newsworthy. As well, any well run company would announce at least a few quarters in advance that the CFO is leaving.

They don’t abruptly quit or get fired after 13 years without something brewing

[asdfman123]

Yes, this thread is obviously speculation. That's the purpose of it.

[panick21_]

That is just flat out factually wrong. CFO just like ever other position sometimes switch jobs.

[Kranar]

That seems like a contradiction. How can something always be a big deal if it can mean nothing?

[nlowell]

E.g. The fire alarm going off is always a big deal even if there is not always a fire.

[conductr]

13 years is a long tenure as CFO, on surface this means nothing.

[mtmail]

I think it's 13 years at Tesla, 4 years as CFO.