New York City Comptroller Brad Lander has urged Tesla’s board to take action on Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk after he endorsed antisemitic views on his social media platform X.
In a letter sent Monday to the chair of Tesla’s board, Lander said he was concerned about Musks’ statements and the board’s silence surrounding them. Musk had last week agreed with a post that said Jewish people hold a “dialectical hatred” of white people. “You have said the actual truth,” Musk responded.
“We are deeply concerned that his hateful statements on X will have material negative reputational and financial effects on Tesla,” Lander said in the letter. While Musk is free to express his opinions, even if false, antisemitic and hateful, the board must exercise oversight and judgment to ensure those opinions don’t harm the company, he said.
Musk’s endorsement of the post, along with concerns that ads are reportedly being placed alongside far-right content, led Apple Inc. and others to pull ads from the social media platform, while the White House chastised the billionaire, saying his comments were “unacceptable” and endanger Jewish communities.
Lander said in an interview that Tesla’s board should demand Musk take responsibility for the harm his post did and find ways to repair it. Failing that, they could either censure him, sanction his pay or suspend him.
“It would send a pretty strong signal,” Lander said. “The board has the power to demote, reassign or terminate the CEO.”
Musk and Tesla’s board didn’t respond to an email about the comptroller’s letter Tuesday.
Tesla board member Kimbal Musk said in an X post that he and his brother grew up in South Africa with many close friends who are Jewish. “Elon is not an antisemite,” Kimbal Musk said.
New York City’s retirement system owns about $946 million in Tesla shares as of the end of the September. The plan manages about $248 billion.
Reuters reported the comptroller’s comments earlier Tuesday.
