Elon Musk is under the microscope yet again. This time, the Tesla CEO faces scrutiny following an internal company investigation regarding plans to build a glass home using company funds, reports The Wall Street Journal (WSJ). The use of company funds for personal expenses by a publicly traded company is not only a breach of fiduciary duty but also unlawful, states the Internal Revenue Service.
The investigation also sucked in a Tesla executive and several employees. Bloomberg reported in 2022 that Omead Afshar, an executive at Tesla’s Austin, Texas, factory, had been under investigation by Tesla after he requested a purchase of costly large-sized specialized glass worth millions of dollars. Afshar told employees the glass was for a special project.
However, Tesla’s system flagged the order as items that could possibly be a misuse of company resources. The WSJ reports that unnamed sources with knowledge of the situation claim that some employees were concerned about the reason for the large order.
According to the WSJ, the requested materials were part of an internal project dubbed “Project 42,” which is said to involve the construction of a glass house for Musk. The project drew attention following the request for large amounts of specialized glass, which is typically used on building facades.
Tesla’s board originally focused on Afshar but pivoted to investigate Musk’s involvement. Bloomberg reports that several employees were terminated, and Afshar is now working at SpaceX, another company owned and led by Musk.
The WSJ writes that it is unclear if the glass house is still planned or whether the glass order was delivered.
The outlet obtained documents that show the project appeared to be for a “dramatic glass-walled building” close to Tesla’s headquarters in Austin. The plans included waterfront views, a hexagonal shape and views of Tesla’s headquarters. Concept plans featured differing designs but included residential elements like bedrooms. Tesla moved its headquarters to Austin from Palo Alto, Calif., in 2021.
I don’t have a problem with Mr. Musk using new glass for a new or existing structure, unless it is not bird-safe glass. In other words, Mr musk could raise worldwide awareness with this golden opportunity about how glass windows across the United States each year cause the deaths of 1 billion birds. He has no business building anything like that unless he’s going to use birdsafe glass.