Milan Kovac, the lead of Tesla's Optimus humanoid robot project, has announced his departure to the team on Friday, local time. His duties will be assumed by Ashok Elluswamy, who currently heads Tesla's autonomous driving division. Kovac shared the news on platform X, describing it as "the toughest decision of his life" and expressing a desire to devote more time to his family. Since joining Tesla in 2016, Kovac has spearheaded the Optimus project since 2022. His departure occurs as the project edges closer to its mass production phase.