‘Master of Coin’ leaves Tesla
Zachary Kirkhorn, Tesla’s chief financial officer, resigns after four years in the post. Kirkhorn earned $1.2m in salary as CFO and walks away with $168m in Tesla stock and options. (When he was promoted to CFO, Kirkhorn was granted the secondary title of “Master of Coin,” a reference to the TV series Game of Thrones.) On LinkedIn, Kirkhorn thanked Musk for his “leadership and optimism, which has inspired so many people,” but gave no reason for his departure. Tech analyst Dan Ives said Mr. Kirkhorn was “a key part of this historic Tesla turnaround the last five years” and that his departure was “a blow in the near term” for Tesla.
Musk’s ketamine use ‘could jeopardize security clearance’
Musk’s ketamine use could prompt an investigation into his security clearance for SpaceX and Tesla. It was reported that Musk microdoses ketamine for depression, and takes full doses of ketamine at parties. He has also tweeted approvingly of ketamine use to treat depression. Two national security attorneys say drug use is typically grounds for the government to revoke someone’s security clearance. They expect to see the federal agency in charge of security clearances investigate Musk’s use of ketamine, which is a schedule III drug, meaning it can be legally prescribed under federal law. One of the attorneys says:
[S]omeone who takes a cavalier approach to drug use may take a cavalier approach to the handling of classified information.
Musk does not respond to a request for comment. There is no evidence that the government has opened a review of Musk’s clearance.
Musk meets Modi, hints at Tesla expansion
On a two-day visit to New York, Indian Prime Minister Modi meets with Musk. Musk:
[It was an] excellent and a very good conversation. I am confident Tesla will be in India and will do so as soon as humanly possible, Hopefully we’ll be able to announce something in the not-too-distant future….I am a fan of Modi. I like him quite a lot.
Musk, who said he hopes to visit India in 2023, said Modi is pushing Tesla to make “significant investments in India,” and that’s “something we intend to do.” He also added that he hopes to bring Starlink to remote and rural areas of India.
I am incredibly excited about the future of India
I am a fan of Modi – @elonmusk says after meeting PM @narendramodi pic.twitter.com/A9TLwotV9Y— 🦏 Payal M/પાયલ મેહતા/ पायल मेहता/ পাযেল মেহতা (@payalmehta100) June 20, 2023
Musk to Yoon: South Korea could get Tesla Gigafactory
Musk meets South Korean President Yoon Suk-Yeol to discuss building a Tesla factory in South Korea. Yoon wants a Tesla factory there and is visiting the U.S. for six days, so Musk requested the Washington meeting. Citing its high-skilled workers and advanced industrial robots, Yoon said South Korea is a good place for a Tesla “Gigafactory” and Musk told him that the country is a top candidates for one. Yoon also said that if Tesla decides to invest there, he would actively support the company in regards to location, human resources and tax.
