Tesla’s 39-year-old chief financial officer has left the company with a $170m (£130m) fortune after just four years in the post.

The electric car company announced on Monday that Zachary Kirkhorn had unexpectedly stepped down.

In a LinkedIn post, the Harvard MBA graduate thanked chief executive Elon Musk for his “leadership and optimism, which has inspired so many people”. He did not give a reason for his departure.

Mr Kirkhorn walks away with $168m in Tesla stock and options. He has also earned $1.2m in salary during his four years in his current role.

Mr Kirkhorn joined Tesla in 2010 at the age of 26 as a financial analyst, having previously worked for McKinsey.

After a two-year sabbatical for a Harvard MBA in 2011, he returned as a senior finance manager before rising through the ranks to become chief financial officer in 2019 aged 34.