---
schema_version: "secwatch.filing_event.v1"
accession: "0000950170-23-038779"
form_type: "8-K"
ticker: "TSLA"
cik: "0001318605"
company_name: "Tesla, Inc."
filed_at: "2023-08-07T23:59:59+00:00"
generated_at: "2026-06-12T03:51:31.519737+00:00"
event_type: "leadership"
sentiment: "neutral"
materiality_score: 0.7
calibrated_materiality_score: 0.7
confidence: "high"
source: SEC EDGAR
---

# Tesla appoints Vaibhav Taneja as CFO; Zachary Kirkhorn steps down

## Summary
- Vaibhav Taneja appointed CFO effective Aug 4, 2023, adding to his role as Chief Accounting Officer.
- Zachary Kirkhorn stepped down after 13 years at Tesla, last 4 as CFO/Master of Coin; will stay through year-end.
- Taneja has served as Tesla's CAO since March 2019, previously at SolarCity and PricewaterhouseCoopers.

## SEC filing metadata
- accession: 0000950170-23-038779
- form_type: 8-K
- ticker: TSLA
- cik: 0001318605
- company_name: Tesla, Inc.
- filed_at: 2023-08-07T23:59:59+00:00
- event_type: leadership
- sentiment: neutral
- materiality_score: 0.7
- calibrated_materiality_score: 0.7
- confidence: high
- sec_items: 5.02
- EDGAR index: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1318605/000095017023038779/0000950170-23-038779-index.htm
- EDGAR primary document: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1318605/000095017023038779/tsla-20230804.htm

## Machine-readable alternates
- HTML: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0000950170-23-038779
- JSON: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0000950170-23-038779.json
- Plain text: https://secwatch.observer/filing/0000950170-23-038779.txt

## Key facts
- Executive change
  Vaibhav Taneja was appointed as Chief Financial Officer at Tesla, Inc..
  - Action: appointed
  - Role: Chief Financial Officer
  source text: As of August 4, 2023, Tesla, Inc. (“Tesla”) appointed Vaibhav Taneja as Chief Financial Officer in addition to his current role as Chief Accounting Officer, to succeed Zachary Kirkhorn.
  evidence_url: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1318605/000095017023038779/0000950170-23-038779-index.htm
- Executive change
  Zachary Kirkhorn departed as Chief Financial Officer at Tesla, Inc..
  - Action: stepped down
  - Role: Chief Financial Officer
  source text: Mr. Kirkhorn stepped down as of August 4, after a thirteen-year tenure with the company, the last four years of which he has served as Master of Coin and Chief Financial Officer.
  evidence_url: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1318605/000095017023038779/0000950170-23-038779-index.htm

This AI-assisted summary is a reading aid. Review the linked SEC EDGAR filing before relying on any specific claim.