Tesla sales boss Blankenship leaves to deliver more smiles

When former Apple and Gap executive George Blankenship joined Tesla back in 2010, he said he was excited to be "changing the world for the better" with "some of the boldest and brightest people on the planet." Perhaps the world has been changed enough, since Blankenship left the company a few weeks ago, notes the San Jose Mercury News.

The executive's departure comes at an interesting time for Tesla, with the company's global expansion just getting started in earnest. European and Asian sales and deliveries started this year. At the very least, Blankenship has managed to fulfill his desire to get "people to want the car, I don't want to sell them the car."

No one seems to know why Blankenship left Tesla – the company still lists him as the vice president of its sales and ownership experience on its website, and Tesla would not comment on the matter to Reuters. However, it's no surprise that Blankenship says he wants to spend more time with his family. We know this because of the excellent way he has updated his LinkedIn page. He now says his job is Director of Smiles for the Blankenship Family and that his "current position is focused on finding as many ways as possible to make as many people smile as often as possible." We wish him the best of luck in those efforts.