Gary Zhou 
- 😕 Tesla has never disclosed how much it invests in helping Elon Musk’s other ventures, raising concerns among investors.
- 🤝 Musk claims having multiple ventures helps him retain top talent by offering them opportunities not available in established companies like Tesla.
- 🔄 Risks include distractions, lack of focus, and employee burnout due to working on multiple projects simultaneously.
- 📊 Tesla is the only public company among Musk’s ventures, and it has not disclosed the extent of financial and resource support to his other ventures like Twitter and xAI.
- 🚀 Musk’s ventures, including xAI and Neuralink, are facing increased scrutiny, and investors seek more transparency from Tesla’s board.
During Tesla’s Q2 earnings call, analyst William Stein raised questions about Musk’s latest tech venture, xAI, an artificial intelligence startup incorporated in Nevada. Musk aims for xAI to compete with Google Bard and OpenAI’s ChatGPT while collaborating with Tesla on software and silicon.
Concerns arose about potential overlaps or competition between xAI and Tesla’s AI features and products. Musk explained that xAI could enhance Tesla’s value by attracting top AI engineers and scientists who prefer working for startups rather than established companies.
The issue of Musk’s involvement in multiple ventures also drew attention when Senator Elizabeth Warren called for an investigation into his ties with Twitter and related corporate governance matters. Musk is the controlling shareholder, CTO, and executive chair at Twitter, while serving as CEO at Tesla and SpaceX. He is also involved in Neuralink and The Boring Co.
As Tesla is a public company, questions have been raised about the resources allocated to Musk’s other ventures and the level of disclosure to shareholders. Tesla’s assistance to Musk in his Twitter activities has been previously reported, and one senior Tesla employee has transitioned to Musk’s X Corp, the parent company of Twitter.
These developments have put a spotlight on the relationships between Musk’s ventures and the potential impact on Tesla and its investors.
Tesla’s related party transactions came to light in a May 2023 proxy filing, shedding some light on its agreements with Twitter. The disclosure indicated that Twitter was involved in certain commercial and support agreements with Tesla. Although specific details about the nature of these agreements were not provided, it was revealed that Twitter incurred expenses of around $1.0 million in 2022 and $0.4 million in 2023 until February. The exact services or products that Twitter is obtaining from Tesla remain undisclosed at this time.
Risks include lack of focus, employee burnout
According to London Business School professor of organizational behavior, Randall S. Peterson, Elon Musk’s arguments for keeping great people from joining competitors might be convoluted and difficult to test or challenge in an investigation. Peterson noted that individuals who aspire to create startups are less likely to join Tesla’s direct competitors in the automotive industry, as most startups tend to fail.
Peterson also raised concerns about the risks that Musk’s multiple ventures pose for Tesla and its shareholders. Running several companies simultaneously can hinder focus and excellence in any one area, potentially creating a risk around the CEO himself. It questions the Tesla board’s independence and whether they may be overlooking fundamental issues as long as profits continue.
Another risk involves employees feeling pressured to work on multiple projects simultaneously, which could lead to burnout and high attrition. Musk’s approach to cross-pollinating among his businesses may also create distractions, impeding employee focus.
Despite potential challenges, Musk continues to promote unapologetic collaborations between his growing empire of companies. For instance, he mentioned the possibility of Tesla collaborating with Neuralink to develop robotic prosthetic limbs, benefiting amputees.
