Senator Elizabeth Warren from Massachusetts has purportedly called on the Securities and Exchange Commission to conduct an investigation into Tesla Inc.’s activities.
Warren penned a letter to the SEC, raising worries regarding the board’s autonomy from CEO Elon Musk. She suspects Musk might be leveraging his authority for personal advantage rather than prioritizing Tesla’s shareholders’ interests. The Wall Street Journal disclosed this, noting it’s not the first instance of Warren expressing these concerns; she had previously reached out to the SEC about this matter last summer.
In her recent letter, Warren voiced apprehensions about possible conflicts of interest arising from the relationship between Tesla and Musk’s private ventures, such as the social media platform X. She also raised doubts about Tesla’s recent choice to advertise on the platform. “Despite the escalating concerns surrounding Mr. Musk’s dual roles at Tesla and his private enterprises, the Board seems to have made no efforts to mitigate these risks or safeguard its shareholders,” Warren stated, according to the report.
The NASDAQ stock exchange mandates that a majority of board members must have independence. If the SEC determines that a company misled investors regarding the board’s independence, it has the authority to intervene.
