Just call Musk ‘Your Majesty’
Tesla is now officially Elon Musk’s kingdom.
The electric-car maker told investors Monday that its billionaire chief executive had changed his company title to “Technoking of Tesla.”
Tesla disclosed the change in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission without elaborating on why Musk had taken on the regal designation.
Musk isn’t the only one getting a colorful new line for his business card. Chief financial officer Zach Kirkhorn will now be known as Tesla’s “Master of Coin,” the filing says.
That title happens to appear in the fantastical “Game of Thrones” universe, where it belongs to the official in charge of the royal treasury. It could also be a reference to Tesla’s $1.5 billion investment in bitcoin that shook up the cryptocurrency market last month.
It doesn’t seem like the name change will affect Musk or Kirkhorn’s day-to-day duties, as Tesla said they will “also maintain their respective positions as Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer.”
The Silicon Valley automaker did not respond to an e-mail seeking more information about the switch.
The unconventional title reflects the fact that Tesla is essentially Musk’s fiefdom. He’s served as chief executive since 2008 and has been known to take a hands-on role in the company’s operations, going so far as to sleep on the factory floor as it ramped up production.
The change also “hints at Musk viewing Tesla more as a technology disruptor in the future” in light of the company’s efforts to develop robotaxis, self-driving technology and more advanced batteries, said Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives.