Big Tesla backer doesn’t oppose a Musk ouster: ‘I don’t think he needs to be CEO’

Mike Blake | Reuters
SpaceX founder Elon Musk looks on at a post-launch news conference after the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, carrying the Crew Dragon spacecraft, lifted off on an uncrewed test flight to the International Space Station from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, March 2, 2019.

A major Tesla backer doesn't fear an SEC-inspired ouster of CEO Elon Musk, according to a new report by Barron's.

“We wouldn't be against him having a different role,” James Anderson, head of global equities for Baillie Gifford, told Barron's. “I don't think he needs to be CEO.”

Baillie Gifford is the second-largest stakeholder in Tesla behind Musk. The U.K.-based investment firm owns 7.7 percent of the company — or roughly $3.8 billion worth — according to FactSet. Musk owns 19.7 percent, while the third-largest investor, T. Rowe Price, owns 5.2 percent.

Musk is facing contempt of court allegations after he tweeted what the SEC claims was “inaccurate” information about Tesla's production outlook. Tesla admitted to the SEC that Musk had not received approval to tweet the information, which is required by a settlement agreement struck between the agency and Tesla last fall.

Tesla has long touted the importance of keeping Musk in the top spot, saying in annual SEC filings that Tesla is “highly dependent on the services of Elon Musk, our Chief Executive Officer and largest stockholder.”

Anderson agreed that Musk is essential to Tesla, but suggested a less formal role to Barron's like “chief ideologue.”

In December, Baillie Gifford contributed to a $500 million fundraising round in Musk's rocket company, SpaceX, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Read more at Barron's.

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AEye Advisory Board Profile: Scott Pfotenhauer

We sat down with each of our Advisory Board Members to ask them about their vision for the future of self-driving cars…
Mr. Pfotenhauer began his career at Intel in the mid 1970’s and has since been involved with numerous technology companies. Since joining Morgan Stanley in 1996, he developed and leveraged an expansive network of investment banking and wealth management resources to help clients formulate exit strategies for their businesses. He is a Senior Investment Management Consultant with Morgan Stanley, advising private client and corporate executives. Pfotenhauer obtained both a BA and MBA in Business from California Coast University.

Q: Where do you see ADAS solutions, autonomous vehicles, and/or artificial perception, heading within the next few years? The next decade? Beyond?
I was fortunate enough to work for Intel from the mid 70’s to the mid 90’s — and participated in the advent of desktop and mobile computing, which had their foundation on Intel products.

In the last 25 years, I’ve continued to look around the corner to try and spot the next “big thing”. We now have the advanced computing tools that allow companies to apply Artificial Intelligence (AI) within their decision making and take advantage of big data. These trends converge around the auto industry and its next inflection points — EVs and autonomy.

Q: What do you see as the next logical step for the auto industry?
When I think about the auto industry, it’s remarkable how many inflection points it has gone through. The internal combustion engine of 1876 made cars feasible, while mass production which began in the early 1900’s made them affordable. The starter engine of 1912 rendered hand cranks obsolete, and then the first transcontinental highway in 1913 opened up the nation. The pickup truck of the early 1930’s made the vehicle more functional, while the automatic transmission, power steering, and braking of the 40’s and 50’s made it easier and safer for just about anyone to drive.

Seat belts, anti-lock brakes, and airbags increased the safety, while GPS and maps made us all more efficient. Now we have begun the climb up the 5 levels of automation — we won’t get anywhere without a complete set of artificial eyes — that are always on, don’t blink, don’t get distracted, or won’t tire.

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