|
Gerber said in a telephone interview that he decided to withdraw
after Martin Viecha, Tesla's investor relations chief, told him
the company has taken steps along the lines Gerber sought when
he announced his board run Feb. 10.
Among other things Tesla will introduce more executives than
usual at a March 1 investor day at its Austin, Texas
headquarters, to show its managerial talent runs beyond CEO Elon
Musk, Gerber said.
Tesla also will create more Twitter and promotional content,
which could move the brand away from its close identification
with Musk. "That's what I'm talking about, them having their own
voice separate from Elon," Gerber said.
Gerber, a Los Angeles investment manager, is a longtime Tesla
bull who initially cast his run as that of a "friendly
activist." While his wealth-management firm had only about
440,000 shares of Tesla he has received backing from larger
shareholders online.
Tesla shares closed on Friday at less than half their peak price
in 2021 as rivals have gained ground while Musk pursued his
purchase of the Twitter social media platform. Tesla has
promised investors a look at "our most advanced production line"
on March 1.
Gerber said Telsa did not ask him to withdraw. "They don’t want
to fight with me and I don’t want to fight them," Gerber said.
"It just makes sense to do this and not have an adversarial
situation," he said.
Tesla representatives did not immediately respond to questions.
Gerber's decision was first reported by Bloomberg News, citing a
person familiar with the matter.
(Reporting by Ross Kerber; Editing by David Gregorio)
[© 2023 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.
|
|
