Who is Vaibhav Taneja? Indian-origin Tesla CFO whose name floated for treasurer of Elon Musk's 'America Party'

Indian-American Vaibhav Taneja, the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at Tesla, may be named as the Treasurer and Custodian of Records for Elon Musk’s newly launched America Party, a political platform Musk says is designed to challenge the United States’ “two-party system”, as per a screenshot of FEC filing. Thename started doing rounds after Musk declared the formation of the America Party on his social media platform X. “Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom,” he wrote, adding that Americans had overwhelmingly voted for this idea in an online poll.

Musk turns to his top finance man to run the show

Taneja’s name appeared in an image of a recent filing with the US Federal Election Commission (FEC). Musk, who was once President Trump’s closest backer, broke ties with him over a spending bill that Musk called fiscally reckless.

Vaibhav Taneja’s rise from Delhi to Tesla

Originally from India, Taneja is a commerce graduate from Delhi University and a qualified Chartered Accountant from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India.

He spent nearly 17 years at PwC, advising global clients on IPOs and financial governance, before moving to SolarCity, one of Musk’s companies. He joined Tesla in 2017 and rose through the ranks:

• Assistant Corporate Controller (2017–2018)

• Corporate Controller (2018–2019)

• Chief Accounting Officer (2019–Present)

• Chief Financial Officer (2023–Present)

Based in Austin, Texas, Taneja has played a central role in Tesla’s global growth and compliance strategy. Now, he finds himself overseeing the finances of a political organisation that could shape US elections. Taneja made headlines for earning more than Satya Nadella and Sundar Pichai in 2024. According to reports, he received a total pay package of $139 million in 2024 as Tesla's CFO.

Though the future of the America Party remains uncertain ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who once worked with Musk at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), told CNN that “Elon was not” popular, despite the popularity of his ideas.

He also questioned how Musk’s political activities might sit with Tesla’s board, “I imagine that those board of directors did not like this announcement… and will be encouraging him to focus on his business activities, not his politicalactivities.”