Vaibhav Taneja, the Indian-origin Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Tesla, has been appointed as the treasurer of Elon Musk's newly formed America Party (AMEP). This move, revealed through a recent filing with the Federal Election Commission (FEC), highlights the significant trust Musk places in Taneja, his top financial executive. The FEC filing also lists Taneja as the Custodian of Records for the party.

Musk's creation of the America Party follows his disagreements with Donald Trump and the Republican Party. The party's headquarters is listed as 1 Rocket Road, Hawthorne.

Taneja's appointment has sparked varied reactions, with some social media users criticizing the move and labeling the America Party as the "H-1B Party". This is a reference to the H-1B visa program, which allows US companies to employ foreign workers, and of which Musk has been a vocal supporter. Critics argue that Taneja, as an Indian-origin executive, symbolizes the H-1B workforce.

As Treasurer, Taneja will be responsible for managing political contributions, ensuring compliance with federal election laws, and handling regulatory filings. This role adds a new dimension to his extensive career in corporate finance.

Taneja has been Tesla's CFO since August 2023, taking over from Zach Kirkhorn. He also holds the position of Chief Accounting Officer (CAO) since March 2019. His journey with Tesla began in February 2017 when he joined as Assistant Corporate Controller, later becoming Corporate Controller in May 2018.

Before Tesla, Taneja worked at SolarCity, a solar energy company co-founded by Musk, until its acquisition by Tesla in 2017. Prior to SolarCity, he spent nearly 17 years at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in both India and the United States, advising Fortune 500 clients on financial controls and IPO preparation.

Taneja's educational background includes a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Delhi University and he is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). He is also a Chartered Accountant.

In 2024, Taneja's compensation totaled $139 million, surpassing the earnings of tech leaders such as Microsoft's Satya Nadella and Google's Sundar Pichai. This substantial sum included stock options and equity linked to performance metrics, in addition to a base salary of $400,000.

Taneja's appointment as treasurer signals that Musk is relying on his trusted executive's proven ability to handle high-stakes financial and regulatory matters as he ventures into the political arena.