News
U.S. Senator calls for SEC to investigate Tesla Board for ‘failure to manage’ Elon Musk
U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren has called for the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to investigate Tesla and its Board of Directors for “failing to manage the actions of CEO Elon Musk in his dual role as CEO of Twitter and Tesla.”
Warren penned a letter on Thursday morning that aims to raise awareness of Musk’s actions since purchasing Twitter, now called X, and the Tesla Board’s failure “to uphold its legal duty to ensure that Mr. Musk acts in the best interest of Tesla.”
Warren said in the letter that the Tesla Board has also not adequately disclosed concerns about the conflict of interest that stems from Musk running both Tesla and X.
“Tesla is publicly owned, and Mr. Musk and the Board have responsibilities to shareholders and the public in their management of the company. Mr. Musk’s personal wealth – and his personal relationships with Board members – do not shield him or the Tesla Board from meeting basic SEC governance and disclosure rules. The concerns about Mr. Musk’s actions as Tesla CEO since his purchase of Twitter and the Board’s failure to address or disclose potential risks related to them raise obvious questions about Tesla’s compliance with SEC rules and regulations. I am therefore asking the SEC to open an investigation into Tesla to ensure that the actions of Mr. Musk and the Tesla Board have not violated securities laws.”
“Mr. Musk’s actions since purchasing Twitter and becoming its Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – while remaining Tesla’s CEO – have raised concerns about conflicts of interest, misappropriation of corporate assets, and other negative impacts to Tesla shareholders. Despite recent and repeated calls from investors to address these actions, the Board appears to have failed to uphold its legal duty to ensure that Mr. Musk act in the best interest of Tesla. The Board also does not appear to have adequately disclosed concerns about these issues to investors, undermining shareholders’ ability to make informed voting and investing decisions and to hold their fiduciaries accountable.”
Warren has previously expressed concerns about Musk’s purchase of X. In December 2022, she wrote a letter to Tesla Board Chairwoman Robyn Denholm stating that there could have been a misappropriation of Tesla resources.
Additionally, Warren said that Tesla’s board had “an apparent lack of independence” from Musk in a letter sent to the SEC in July 2023.
Elizabeth Warren grills Tesla Board on Elon Musk’s alleged absence
Warren believes Musk’s actions could be potential violations of securities laws, including Nasdaq listing rules requiring a majority independent board, SEC disclosure requirements regarding Board independence, and Tesla’s violation of SEC rule 10b-5, which prohibits any act of omission resulting in fraud or deceit.
Warren continues in her letter:
“Tesla is publicly owned, and Mr. Musk and the Board have responsibilities to shareholders and the public in their management of the company. Mr. Musk’s personal wealth – and his personal relationships with Board members – do not shield him or the Tesla Board from meeting basic SEC governance and disclosure rules. The concerns about Mr. Musk’s actions as Tesla CEO since his purchase of Twitter and the Board’s failure to address or disclose potential risks related to them raise obvious questions about Tesla’s compliance with SEC rules and regulations. I am therefore asking the SEC to open an investigation into Tesla to ensure that the actions of Mr. Musk and the Tesla Board have not violated securities laws.”
Warren cites several news articles in her letter that show Musk appearing to display “a distracted or overly focused” attitude on other ventures.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this matter. Email us at tips@teslarati.com, or you can email me directly at joey@teslarati.com. I’m also on X @KlenderJoey.
Elon Musk
Lufthansa Group to equip Starlink on its 850-aircraft fleet
Under the collaboration, Lufthansa Group will install Starlink technology on both its existing fleet and all newly delivered aircraft, as noted by the group in a press release.
Lufthansa Group has announced a partnership with Starlink that will bring high-speed internet connectivity to every aircraft across all its carriers.
This means that aircraft across the group’s brands, from Lufthansa, SWISS, and Austrian Airlines to Brussels Airlines, would be able to enjoy high-speed internet access using the industry-leading satellite internet solution.
Starlink in-flight internet
Under the collaboration, Lufthansa Group will install Starlink technology on both its existing fleet and all newly delivered aircraft, as noted by the group in a press release.
Starlink’s low-Earth orbit satellites are expected to provide significantly higher bandwidth and lower latency than traditional in-flight Wi-Fi, which should enable streaming, online work, and other data-intensive applications for passengers during flights.
Starlink-powered internet is expected to be available on the first commercial flights as early as the second half of 2026. The rollout will continue through the decade, with the entire Lufthansa Group fleet scheduled to be fully equipped with Starlink by 2029. Once complete, no other European airline group will operate more Starlink-connected aircraft.
Free high-speed access
As part of the initiative, Lufthansa Group will offer the new high-speed internet free of charge to all status customers and Travel ID users, regardless of cabin class. Chief Commercial Officer Dieter Vranckx shared his expectations for the program.
“In our anniversary year, in which we are celebrating Lufthansa’s 100th birthday, we have decided to introduce a new high-speed internet solution from Starlink for all our airlines. The Lufthansa Group is taking the next step and setting an essential milestone for the premium travel experience of our customers.
“Connectivity on board plays an important role today, and with Starlink, we are not only investing in the best product on the market, but also in the satisfaction of our passengers,” Vranckx said.
Elon Musk
Tesla locks in Elon Musk’s top problem solver as it enters its most ambitious era
The generous equity award was disclosed by the electric vehicle maker in a recent regulatory filing.
Tesla has granted Senior Vice President of Automotive Tom Zhu more than 520,000 stock options, tying a significant portion of his compensation to the company’s long-term performance.
The generous equity award was disclosed by the electric vehicle maker in a recent regulatory filing.
Tesla secures top talent
According to a Form 4 filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Tom Zhu received 520,021 stock options with an exercise price of $435.80 per share. Since the award will not fully vest until March 5, 2031, Zhu must remain at Tesla for more than five years to realize the award’s full benefit.
Considering that Tesla shares are currently trading at around the $445 to $450 per share level, Zhu will really only see gains in his equity award if Tesla’s stock price sees a notable rise over the years, as noted in a Sina Finance report.
Still, even at today’s prices, Zhu’s stock award is already worth over $230 million. If Tesla reaches the market cap targets set forth in Elon Musk’s 2025 CEO Performance Award, Zhu would become a billionaire from this equity award alone.
Tesla’s problem solver
Zhu joined Tesla in April 2014 and initially led the company’s Supercharger rollout in China. Later that year, he assumed the leadership of Tesla’s China business, where he played a central role in Tesla’s localization efforts, including expanding retail and service networks, and later, overseeing the development of Gigafactory Shanghai.
Zhu’s efforts helped transform China into one of Tesla’s most important markets and production hubs. In 2023, Tesla promoted Zhu to Senior Vice President of Automotive, placing him among the company’s core global executives and expanding his influence beyond China. He has since garnered a reputation as the company’s problem solver, being tapped by Elon Musk to help ramp Giga Texas’s vehicle production.
With this in mind, Tesla’s recent filing seems to suggest that the company is locking in its top talent as it enters its newest, most ambitious era to date. As could be seen in the targets of Elon Musk’s 2025 pay package, Tesla is now aiming to be the world’s largest company by market cap, and it is aiming to achieve production levels that are unheard of. Zhu’s talents would definitely be of use in this stage of the company’s growth.
News
Tesla counters Norway’s VAT hike with dedicated consumer bonus
The move follows Tesla Norway’s stunning finish in 2025, where the company saw substantial sales during the final weeks of the year.
Tesla has rolled out a price incentive in Norway, effectively offsetting a notable VAT increase that hit electric vehicle buyers at the start of 2026.
The move follows Tesla Norway’s stunning finish in 2025, where the company saw substantial sales during the final weeks of the year.
A “Tesla bonus”
Once the VAT increase kicked in at the start of 2026, Tesla Norway’s sales cooled almost immediately, as noted in a CarUp report. Tesla’s response was swift, with the electric vehicle maker rolling out what it calls a “Tesla bonus.”
This bonus effectively cuts prices by up to 50,000 kronor across eight model variants. All versions of the Tesla Model Y qualify for the incentive, along with most Tesla Model 3 trims, save for the base entry-level model.
This means that for Tesla Norway’s best-selling vehicles, the bonus effectively restores pricing to pre-VAT levels. This blunts the impact of the new tax and makes Tesla’s vehicle offerings competitive again in Europe’s most EV-saturated market.
Stabilizing demand
In addition to the “Tesla bonus,” the electric car maker is also offering a promotional interest rate for up to three years, with terms varying by model. The incentive applies to orders placed between January 9 and March 31, 2026, with delivery required by the end of the first quarter.
The stakes are high in Norway, where electric vehicles dominate new-car registrations. From the vehicles that were sold in 2025, 96% of new cars sold were fully electric. And from this number, Tesla and its Model Y made their dominance felt. This was highlighted by Geir Inge Stokke, director of OFV, who noted that Tesla was able to achieve its stellar results despite its small vehicle lineup.
“Taking almost 20% market share during a year with record-high new car sales is remarkable in itself. When a brand also achieves such volumes with so few models, it says a lot about both demand and Tesla’s impact on the Norwegian market,” Stokke stated.
Lufthansa Group to equip Starlink on its 850-aircraft fleet
Tesla locks in Elon Musk’s top problem solver as it enters its most ambitious era
