The Tesla boss has dismissed as ‘bullshit’ claims she is too close to Elon Musk while his £44bn pay deal hangs in the balance.
Robyn Denholm is trying to convince shareholders to support the billionaire’s pay package after a Delaware court struck it down in January.
The court found that Musk’s compensation as Tesla CEO was inappropriately set by the company’s board of directors.
Kathaleen McCormick of the Delaware Court of Chancery said Musk controlled the board through his personality and influence, meaning his pay package could not be set through a fair process.
Denholm, who has been president since 2018, was also accused of a “lackadaisical approach to her oversight duties.”
Big money: The pay deal, which was settled in 2018, was the largest in U.S. corporate history.
But he is struggling to convince investors ahead of Tesla’s annual meeting on June 13 to vote in favor of the pay package. She maintains that the bumper payment is critical to the electric car maker’s future growth.
Denholm, 60, told the Financial Times: “Voting is very important for us as a company, but I think it is also important for American companies.”
He also dismissed the court’s findings about his relationship with Musk as “absolute nonsense” and “bullshit.”
The pay deal, which was established in 2018, was the largest ever reached in U.S. corporate history.
