Former Tesla employee reveals what Elon Musk would do if you were close to being fired

A former Tesla employee has opened up on life at the company owned by Elon Musk, including what he would usually do if you were close to being fired.

Former territory manager for Tesla, Carl Medlock, worked at the company for four years until 2013, but has now lifted the lid on what working at the famous business was like - as well as how he found working for billionaire CEO Elon Musk.

The Iced Coffee Hour/YouTube

Speaking on a podcast, Medlock told listeners of The Iced Coffee Hour in August last year about his experience at the company and revealed what the Tesla boss usually did if you were close to being fired.

He said: "If Elon is micromanaging you, you're probably on you way out because he hires good people [and] lets them do their thing."

Medlock described working for Musk as 'fun', but did add that the enigmatic CEO isn't known for socialising with his team. Medlock explained: "He would talk to you if he needed to talk to you, but he didn't just go BS with people at all."

Whilst jokes and chats with employees is commonplace in most businesses, Medlock explained that Musk didn't do that as he said: "I never saw it".

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The Tesla specialist also spoke about the profound respect all the staff had for Musk: "One of the respectful things that everybody at Tesla did without even saying it, when he was with kids, nobody disrespected him – nobody went over there and talked to him."

Elsewhere on the podcast, Medlock revealed his story of leaving the company and getting fired as he explained: "There was a car in Hawaii that was all scratched up, so an email came to me from somebody way high up at Tesla and said fix the problem.

"My boss said 'I don't care what he says' you're not going to Hawaii for more than $500.

"I said we need to take care of this lady, she's in her third year of owning this car and she still has not been able to drive it because it is so scratched up."

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Medlock said he got the go ahead so shipped all the products, like buffer and polisher, to the customer.

Medlock said his son went to fix the car and that the lady was 'raving' about it, but this was the end of Medlock at Tesla. He continued: "My boss looks at me and goes 'you are not gonna live through this'. He told HR that the trip was not authorised, and we got fired for an unauthorised trip to Hawaii."