The Facts
According to a filing at a Delaware court Monday, Tesla's board of directors will return $735M to settle shareholder claims they overpaid themselves. This excludes CEO Elon Musk's $56B compensation package, which is being challenged in a separate ongoing lawsuit.
The suit, filed by the Police and Fire Retirement System of Detroit, claims board members used their stock options to “[grant] themselves millions in excessive compensation.”
The Spin
Narrative A
It seems like Tesla can't go a day without embroiling itself in a national scandal. The company has been accused of racial bias and corporate corruption, and it’s issued several recalls. It's no surprise that Musk's company was violating ethics standards at the expense of shareholders and consumers.
Narrative B
Musk attracts a lot of hate for Tesla, but it’s the best company in the electric vehicle industry. While working to make good on mistakes it has made, Tesla maintains its post as the maker of the fastest, safest, and most cutting-edge automotive technology in the world.