According to reports, Zhu Xiaotong, born in Shenyang in the 1980s, rose from a mid-level position at Tesla to become a global manufacturing leader. In just three years, he cashed out over 8.5 million US dollars through exercise and reduction of holdings, and also holds stocks with a market value of approximately 21.5 million US dollars, as well as potential equity incentives worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
In 2014, Zhu Xiaotong joined Tesla and won Musk's trust with her performance in building charging stations and Shanghai factories in China. In 2023, he was promoted to Senior Vice President of Tesla's automotive business, with overall responsibility for global manufacturing and Asian sales. From 2023 to 2025, he exercised and reduced his holdings multiple times. In June 2025, he cashed out approximately 4.857 million US dollars at once.
Tesla executives and directors set off a 'collective cash out wave' from 2024 to 2025. Except for Musk, the core management's holdings have generally decreased significantly, with cash out amounts reaching hundreds of millions of dollars. Tesla's Q2 2025 financial report shows a comprehensive decline in core operating data: revenue decreased by 12% year-on-year, net profit decreased by 16% year-on-year, and global delivery volume decreased by 13.5% year-on-year. Musk emphasized that fully autonomous driving and Robotaxi are the core of future growth, but the company is facing transformation difficulties in the short term.
