The View | Elon Musk: a visionary leader, or a liability for Tesla’s legacy?
Stephen Vines says Tesla has been spared a plunge in its share price after an SEC lawsuit was settled out of court, but it continues to face a challenge familiar to all companies dominated by a larger-than-life founder: protecting its legacy
Can the electric car company Tesla flourish without Elon Musk as chairman, or, to put it in another way, can Tesla survive with Musk in control?
What’s happening at Tesla raises this question as its volatile, charismatic and inspired founder has yet again landed in the brown stuff. He is not alone, too, as similar circumstances face many other companies that are dominated by a single personality.
It seems pretty certain that Tesla would not even exist were it not for Musk and that, without him, it is questionable whether so many investors would have had faith in a company that has never made a cent, yet enjoys a market capitalisation higher than Ford, a company that has proven experience and also consistently makes money.
So, how much is Musk worth to Tesla? It is a question that Brian Johnson, a Barclays analyst, has attempted to answer. He reckons that Musk’s presence is worth US$130 per share, which at current prices makes him worth just under half the Tesla share price.
Watch: Tesla announces plans for first overseas plant in Shanghai
