Seeking Alpha’s roundup of statements, announcements and remarks that could impact the technology sector.
- Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) Chair Robyn Denholm said that CEO Elon Musk is the only one who can oversee the company’s transition into AI and robotics, calling him a “generational leader.”
“There aren’t any other people out there like Elon who can actually lead the company over the next decade or so,” Denholm told Bloomberg TV on Friday.
Denholm added that Musk could end up transitioning into the role of chief product officer and that such a move was contemplated in his recently disclosed compensation package.
She said Tesla had a contingency plan in place to appoint a new CEO if Musk were to suddenly leave the position. The company has also established a process to identify Musk’s eventual successor.
“We want to make sure that we have the right leaders in place to do an orderly transition at some point in the future,” Denholm told Bloomberg. “And so making that part of this plan was a very deliberate activity.”
- Denholm also said that Musk’s political activities were his own business, despite concerns that they have contributed to slumping sales in certain markets.
“What he does from a personal perspective in terms of his political motivations is up to him,” Denholm said during her interview with Bloomberg. “From a politics perspective, obviously we’re in a democracy, so everybody gets to voice their points of view.”
- Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM) CEO Darren Woods said his company has invented a new type of graphite that can significantly boost EV battery life.
“We’ve invented a new carbon molecule that will extend the life of the battery by 30%,” Woods told listeners at a university event on Friday, according to Bloomberg. “It’s a “revolutionary step change in battery performance.”
Woods added that the product was currently being tested by several EV makers.