Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts has sent a detailed letter to the Tesla board, questioning whether CEO Elon Musk has been using company resources to benefit his other ventures, such as SpaceX and xAI. In her 10-page letter to Tesla Chairwoman Robyn Denholm, Warren expresses concerns that the board may be failing in its fiduciary duties to Tesla’s shareholders by neglecting to address Musk’s potential conflicts of interest.
Warren, who serves on the Senate’s Banking and Armed Services committees, has a history of raising concerns about Musk and Tesla. She has previously called on the SEC to investigate Musk and has criticized his financial decisions, such as selling billions of dollars worth of Tesla shares to fund other ventures. Musk’s companies, including Neuralink and The Boring Co., have also come under scrutiny in Warren’s letter.
One of the key issues raised by Warren is Musk’s involvement in forming xAI, an artificial intelligence startup, while simultaneously billing Tesla as an AI company. Musk’s threats to work on robotics and AI projects outside of Tesla if he did not receive more voting control within the company have raised red flags for Warren. Additionally, Musk’s decision to redirect valuable AI chips from Tesla to X, as well as the poaching of Tesla employees by xAI, have raised concerns about the extent of Musk’s involvement in non-Tesla ventures.
Board Operations
Warren’s letter also alludes to issues within Tesla’s board, suggesting that it may operate more like a family company with fiefdoms than a public company with proper oversight. The departure of a director reportedly due to these concerns further highlights the potential governance issues within Tesla.
Warren has requested that Denholm and Tesla provide answers to her questions regarding Musk’s use of resources and the board’s oversight by August 23rd. Despite previous attempts to engage with Tesla on these matters, Warren’s office has confirmed that the company and Denholm have not responded to her inquiries.
Senator Elizabeth Warren’s letter to the Tesla board raises important questions about the company’s governance and Elon Musk’s potential conflicts of interest. As Tesla continues to expand its reach into new technologies and industries, it will be crucial for the board to address these concerns in order to maintain the trust of shareholders and regulatory authorities.