Elon Musk is widely recognized as the largest shareholder of Tesla (TSLA -0.84%) stock. However, current and prospective investors alike know he's not alone, leaving them to wonder about the bigger picture regarding who owns Tesla.
One of the most recognizable electric vehicle (EV) companies on America's highways and byways today, Tesla was initially focused on the luxury market. Its sole vehicle available to drivers was the Roadster, an electric sportscar that debuted in 2008.
In the years that followed, Tesla expanded its vehicle lineup to the Model S sedan in 2012 and the Model X SUV in 2015. Two years later, Tesla introduced the Model 3, an EV that sported a more affordable price tag. Rounding out the company's available vehicles, the Model Y, a compact SUV, started appearing on America's roads in 2020, while the Cybertruck debuted in 2023. Today, Tesla is developing the Semi, an electric semi-truck.
NASDAQ: TSLA
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In addition to its automotive segment, Tesla's energy-generation and storage segment includes its business dedicated to the "design, manufacture, installation, sales and leasing of solar energy generation and energy storage products and related services and sales of solar energy systems incentives." The company offers its Powerpack battery for residential and commercial-scale applications, while its Megapack is suited for utility-scale energy-storage applications.
Who is the owner of Tesla?
Although there's no single owner of Tesla, Elon Musk is the largest owner of Tesla stock. The company, then called Tesla Motors, was founded by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning in 2003. Musk hitched a ride with the company shortly after it was incorporated, providing more than $6 million in 2004 during its Series A funding round.
At that time, Musk was appointed chairman of the company. Additionally, Musk made other investments in Tesla. For instance, he participated in Series B and Series C funding rounds before Tesla's initial public offering (IPO) in 2010.
Although he receives considerable attention as the CEO of Tesla -- a position he's held since 2008 -- Musk has his focus directed to the stars as well, serving as the CEO and chairman of SpaceX. Musk is recognized as one of the most accomplished entrepreneurs of modern times. In addition to founding SpaceX, Musk founded The Boring Company and Neuralink.
Reimagining urban transport, The Boring Company is attempting to alleviate city traffic by developing tunnel networks. Neuralink, on the other hand, is developing brain implants to help those who suffer from certain medical conditions. Early in his business career, Musk also achieved success as a co-founder of x.com, which eventually became PayPal (PYPL -2.82%).Elon Musk's Investment Strategy
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Who is on the board of directors for Tesla?
Helping to shape the company's direction, the board of directors has various responsibilities that ensure the company is well managed. Investors often pay close attention to people on the board of directors since their stock purchases or sales may provide insight into how the company is faring.
Elon Musk: A board member since 2004, Musk stepped down from his role as chairman in 2018 due to a settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which had charged Musk with misleading investors through a series of tweets.
Ira Ehrenpreis: A Tesla board member since 2007, venture capitalist Ehrenpreis is an independent director who serves as the chair of two committees: the Nominating and Governance Committee and the Compensation Committee. Ehrenpreis is the founder and managing partner of DBL Partners, a venture capital firm.
James Murdoch: An independent director who has served on Tesla's board since 2017, Murdoch is a member of the Nominating and Governance Committee, Audit Committee, and the Disclosures and Control Committee. Previously, Murdoch had served in leadership roles for several media companies, including as CEO of Twenty-First Century Fox from 2015 to 2019 and CEO of Sky from 2003 to 2007.
JB Straubel: A Tesla co-founder, Straubel was the company's chief technology officer from May 2005 to July 2019, when he left to found Redwood Materials, a company specializing in recycling EV batteries and other lithium-ion batteries. Strauble rejoined the Tesla board in 2023. As of his latest SEC filing in 2019, Straubel had 276,398 shares of Tesla stock, although it's unclear whether he has engaged in further stock transactions since then.
Chief Technology Officer (CTO)
Robyn Denholm: Beginning as a director in August 2014, Denholm, a venture capitalist, took over as chair of the board when Musk stepped down in 2018. As of Feb. 21, 2024, Denholm had 15,000 shares of Tesla stock. In addition to chairing the Audit Committee and Disclosure Controls Committee, Denholm is a member of the Nominating and Governance Committee and the Compensation Committee.
Joe Gebbia: Co-founder of Airbnb (ABNB -0.83%), Gebbia took a position on Tesla's board of directors in 2022. An independent director, Gebbia is a member of the Audit Committee.
Kimbal Musk: Since April 2004, Musk has served as a Tesla board member. An entrepreneur who has been a Tesla board member since 2004, Musk also serves as a director for another of his older brother's endeavors, SpaceX, where Kimbal has been a board member since 2002.
Kathleen Wilson-Thompson: For more than five years, Wilson-Thompson has served as a Tesla board member. An independent director, she is a member of several committees: the Nominating and Governance Committee and the Disclosure Controls Committee. From December 2014 to January 2021, Wilson-Thompson was executive vice president at Walgreens Boots Alliance (NASDAQ:WBA).
How to invest in Tesla
Since its 2010 IPO, Tesla stock has sparked investor excitement. Whether you're just learning how to invest your money or you're old hat at investing in stocks, there's a strong likelihood that you've considered the advantages of buying Tesla stock.
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For years, the stock has electrified both bulls, who believe the stock can drive considerably higher, and bears, who believe the stock is consistently overvalued and poised to plummet. Cathie Wood, for example, is one of the stock's most outspoken bulls. The ARK Invest ETFs hold about 4.6 million shares of Tesla stock, and Wood has argued that Tesla stock could drive to $2,000 by 2027.
For investors who find that the growth potential of Tesla stock revs their engines, buying shares is as simple as opening a brokerage account, funding the account, and clicking the buy button. On the other hand, others who are more circumspect about risk may prefer to gain Tesla exposure through an EV ETF.
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