Tesla investors demand 40-hour workweek from Elon Musk

Pension fund leaders with Tesla investments are urging the company’s board to mandate Elon Musk dedicate at least 40 hours per week to the electric vehicle maker, citing a looming crisis.

The group holds a combined 7.9 million TSLA shares and expressed alarm over Tesla’s challenges in a Wednesday letter to board chair Robyn Denholm.

“Tesla’s stock price volatility, declining sales, as well as disconcerting reports regarding the company’s human rights practices, and a plummeting global reputation are cause for serious concern,” the investors wrote.

They attributed many issues to Musk’s external activities, including his role in the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The pension fund leaders criticized the board for failing to ensure Musk’s “full-time attention” on Tesla. The group includes the SOC Investment Group, the American Federation of Teachers, New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, and Oregon State Treasurer Elizabeth Steiner.

The investors’ letter comes as the Tesla board plans for Elon Musk’s next compensation plan, following the Delaware Court of Chancery’s 2023 ruling to rescind his $56 billion 2018 package. Besides a 40-hour workweek requirement, they also called for a clear succession plan and limits on directors’ external board commitments to strengthen governance. The letter highlighted concerns about board independence. Tesla recently added former Chipotle CFO Jack Hartung, who previously worked with Musk’s brother, Kimbal Musk, as a Tesla board member.

The group’s letter reveals where the position of some investors as Elon Musk forges ahead with Tesla’s future plans. Musk’s broader ambitions for Tesla were evident during the Q4 and FY 2023 earnings call, where he envisioned the company as an AI and robotics powerhouse with “truly immense capability and power.” He emphasized his desire for 25% voting control to maintain influence without complete control.

“You know, we’ve had a lot of challenges with Institutional Shareholder Services, ISS — I call them ISIS — and Glass Lewis, you know, which there’s a lot of activists that basically infiltrate those organizations and have strange ideas about what should be done,” Musk said.

As Musk plans to focus more on Tesla, alongside xAI and SpaceX, the investors’ demands underscore tensions between his expansive vision and shareholder expectations. With Tesla navigating stock volatility and reputational challenges, the board faces pressure to align Musk’s leadership with the company’s long-term stability.

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