The Tesla whistleblower and the cost of taking on Elon Musk
He could not give his name, he said, but he had access to huge amounts of data about Tesla, his former employer: private phone numbers, social security information, bank statements, documents stamped 'top secret', and much, much more.
It could not be real, Iwersen thought – his editor at the German newspaper Handelsblatt agreed. Still, he tells Helen Pidd, they kept digging. It was the start of a years-long investigation into Tesla, and a years-long relationship with the whistleblower, too.
Here, he shares what he learned – not only exposing serious safety concerns about Tesla's famed autopilot, but giving a glimpse into the company culture under the leadership of Elon Musk, the world's richest man. 'Narcissism', says Iwersen.
His book detailing it all, The Tesla Files, written with fellow journalist Michael Verfürden, is out now.
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