Herbert Diess, current executive director of the Volkswagen Group, was one step away from taking over at Tesla in 2015, at the invitation of Elon Musk himself.
According to Business Insider, Musk and Diess got closer in 2014, even before Diess left BMW, where he was the head of the Research and Development department.
Diess was in Musk's “crosshairs” due to its pivotal role in the launch of BMW's “Project i” at the beginning of the last decade, which would culminate in the launch of the 100% electric BMW i3 and the plug-in hybrid BMW i8.
Diess had ambitious plans for the “i” division of the Munich brand, but he never managed to garner support from management, especially after the commercial performance of the i3. According to Automobilwoche, Diess wanted to add a BMW i5 to “tap its foot” on the Tesla Model S, a project that was close to completion but was eventually scrapped after Diess left.
In 2014, Herbert Diess left BMW, and would sign a contract, later that year, with the Volkswagen Group — he would assume the functions of Chairman of the Board of Directors on 1 July 2015. According to Automotive News Europe, Tesla already had a contract for the position of CEO (CEO) ready to be signed by Diess, thus “liberating” Musk, who wanted to focus on his position as chairman (president) of the company.
still close
Herbert Diess never got around to commenting on why he opted for the Volkswagen Group and refused the position of CEO at Tesla, but the truth is that, despite the rivalry that the car market “forces”, Herbert Diess and Elon Musk remain close. Which has even led to rumors that this "marriage" may take on new contours in 2023, when Diess' contract with the German group ends.
Right now, both are more attentive than ever to what the other is doing. Remember that just recently Herbert Diess proudly presented “his” Volkswagen ID.3 to Musk, who highly praised the Wolfsburg electric brand. This resulted in the “lively” selfie that illustrates this article.