Tesla’s shareholders on Thursday will decide whether to award the largest pay package in U.S. corporate history to a CEO whose politics have devastated his company’s sales.
Elon Musk’s far-right political activity since 2022 has cost Tesla at least a million electric vehicle sales, according to a new study from four Yale professors.
The researchers arrived at their conclusion by comparing Tesla sales over time to the political leanings of U.S. counties. While many drivers say they’ve abandoned the brand because of Musk’s behavior, the study is the first to quantify the impact.
Blue counties were on a steep Tesla adoption curve, the study found, until late 2022. That is when Musk acquired Twitter, laid off most of its staff, removed restrictions on right-leaning voices and began the outspoken journey that made him President Donald Trump’s chief agent for deleting government agencies and employees.
