Much like his boss Elon Musk, Tesla’s top financial executive, Vaibhav Taneja, is pivoting to the political realm. According to a recent Federal Election Commission (FEC) filing, the Indian-origin chief financial officer for the EV giant has been officially named as the custodian of records as well as the treasurer for the brand-new America Party.
The fresh political venture was kicked off by Donald Trump’s former ‘First Buddy’ to counter what the billionaire called the United States’ “one-party system” as he and the US president’s former bromance washed down the drain over their clashing views on the Republican’s “big beautiful” budget bill.
Musk had previously challenged the bill in his ongoing X rants, writing, “If this insane spending bill passes, the American Party will be formed the next day. Our country needs an alternative to the Democrat-Republican uniparty so that the people actually have a VOICE.”
After the bill was passed following the Senate meeting, he again took to his social media platform, announcing, “Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom… When it comes to bankrupting our country with waste & graft, we live in a one-party system, not a democracy.”
Vaibhav Taneja’s inclusion at such a crucial juncture for the America Party proves the former Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) leader’s trusted reliance in people heading his own companies like Tesla. Here’s what we know about the India-origin official tied to the new political party.
Who is Vaibhav Taneja?
Believed to be in his late 40s, the Indian American business executive has longed been attached to Tesla’s affairs. He has served as the Musk-headed automotive company’s Chief Financial Officer since August 2023. Before rising up to the ranks, he was Tesla’s Chief Accounting Officer (since March 2019), Corporate Controller (from May 2018) and Assistant Corporate Controller (February 2017-March 2018).
The Austin, Texas, resident’s official profile on the Tesla website further details that he pursued Bachelors of Commerce at Delhi University and is a Certified Public Accountant (inactive). Taneja even appears to be a Chartered Accountant, as per his LinkedIn page.
Prior to his Tesla welcome, he worked at Pricewaterhouse Coopers for over 16 years and SolarCity for a year.
All in all, Vaibhav Taneja has more than 17 years of experience working with multinational companies in technology, retail and telecommunication. Given his role as someone who has “assisted companies in identifying areas of focus in order to enhance ongoing revenues by rationalising and streamlining existing processes to support revenue enhancement and leakage prevention,” he is clearly going to be of help at over Musk’s America Party.