When Tesla’s (TSLA) manufacturing executives gathered in Shanghai back in January, many were surprised to see Omead Afshar, Elon Musk’s longtime aide, in attendance since he was not a manufacturing executive at the time, Becky Peterson of The Wall Street Journal reports. Afshar’s attendance was a sign of things to come, as he would soon ascend the ranks to become one of the most powerful executives at the electric-car maker. Recently, Afshar was officially promoted to vice president, overseeing sales and vehicle manufacturing in North America and Europe, which some believe signifies Musk’s renewed focus on the car business. Afshar has been Musk’s right-hand man for years and is viewed by employees as capable of influencing Musk’s decisions and acting on his behalf.
