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Die Tesla-Files: Enthüllungen aus dem Reich von Elon Musk
Elon Musk ist der mächtigste Mann der Welt. Tesla machte ihn zum dreihundertfachen Milliardär, mit seinem Satellitennetzwerk Starlink beeinflusst er das Kriegsgeschehen in der Ukraine. Sein Social-Media-Netzwerk X nutzt Musk als Bühne für seine persönliche Propaganda. Im Herbst 2024 kaufte er sich auch noch in die US-Regierung ein.
Musk inszeniert sich als Retter der Zivilisation, doch sein Geniegestus birgt eine erschreckende Ungewöhnlich viele Arbeitsunfälle in seinen Fabriken, gefährliche Fehler des Tesla-Autopiloten und zahllose gebrochene Versprechen werfen einen dunklen Schatten auf seinen Erfolg.
Die Investigativjournalisten Sönke Iwersen und Michael Verfürden reißen in diesem Buch Musks Fassade ein. Sie analysieren interne Tesla-Daten, werten Gerichtsakten aus und sprechen mit Kunden, Mitarbeitern und Hinterbliebenen. Ihre Recherchen zeigen einen Konzern außer Kontrolle und einen Chef ohne Skrupel. Sie sind ein Vorgeschmack darauf, was die Welt von Musk als erstem globalen Oligarchen zu erwarten hat.
Musk inszeniert sich als Retter der Zivilisation, doch sein Geniegestus birgt eine erschreckende Ungewöhnlich viele Arbeitsunfälle in seinen Fabriken, gefährliche Fehler des Tesla-Autopiloten und zahllose gebrochene Versprechen werfen einen dunklen Schatten auf seinen Erfolg.
Die Investigativjournalisten Sönke Iwersen und Michael Verfürden reißen in diesem Buch Musks Fassade ein. Sie analysieren interne Tesla-Daten, werten Gerichtsakten aus und sprechen mit Kunden, Mitarbeitern und Hinterbliebenen. Ihre Recherchen zeigen einen Konzern außer Kontrolle und einen Chef ohne Skrupel. Sie sind ein Vorgeschmack darauf, was die Welt von Musk als erstem globalen Oligarchen zu erwarten hat.
305 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 20, 2025
37 people are currently reading
331 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
July 20, 2025
Was wir wissen
Dass im Titel des Enthüllungsbuchs „Die Tesla-Files“ kein Schreibfehler vorliegt – also im Wort Files kein "t" vor dem "s" fehlt –, sondern sich hier einfach investigative Coolness und internationaler Verwertbarkeitsnutzen Bahn brechen.
Dass Elon Musk immer mal wieder der reichste Mann der Welt ist.
Dass er – entsprechend der DNA kapitalistischen Agierens – ein narzisstisch schwer gestörter, zweifellos skrupelloser, frech faschistoider, blödsinnig bedenkenloser, nerdiger, autistischer, moralisch armseliger, old-school-jungs-ding-getriebener Geschäftemacher ist.
Dass er Autobauer ist.
Dass er Raketenbauer ist.
Dass er Social-Media-Network-Aktienmehrheitseigner ist.
Dass er Satelliten-in-die-Umlaufbahn-Schießer ist.
Dass er Mars-Fan ist.
Dass Donald Trump eine Ersatzvaterfigur für Elon M. ist. Mit dem hat er sich inzwischen allerdings überworfen.
Dass Elon M.s enger Beraterkreis ganz merkwürdigerweise vorwiegend aus Leuten besteht, denen er vertraut.
Dass er als amerikanischer Milliardenhallodri erwartungsgemäß nix von Gewerkschaften hält.
Dass Unfallursachen mit Todesfolge bei einigen von Tesla hergestellten Fahrzeugen absolut nicht zufriedenstellend geklärt sind.
Dass Elon M. dank seiner Haufen Milliarden auch in politischer Hinsicht einer der gefährlichsten Männer der Welt ist.
Was wir nicht wissen
Welche Konsequenzen es hat, dass Tesla die Daten seiner Mitarbeitenden nicht adäquat schützt.
Was wir gern gewusst hätten
Wie es dem Whistleblower inzwischen so geht.
Was wir nicht wissen wollen
Dass Elon M. 14 Kinder hat.
Dass er ungelenk und bauchfrei tanzt, wenn er Wahlkampfbühnen betritt.
Dass seine Mama ihn doll lieb hat.
Dass sein emotional verkümmerter Papa dagegen ganz schön unpapahaft zu ihm war.
Dass Dschournalismus schon echt toll ist [so die von vielen Vertreter(inne)n der Zunft selbst immer wieder gern, aber weder französisch noch englisch richtig verwendete Aussprache, die vor allem dann zum Einsatz kommt, wenn es um beinharte Recherche und berufliche Selbstadelung geht].
Dass das Besprechungszimmer des Handelsblatts während der Recherchen metaphernschief seeschlachthaft „die Kommandobrücke“ hieß.
Dass die Mitglieder des Investigativ-Teams folgerichtig zur „Tesla-Crew“ mutierten.
Dass Sönke Iwersen seine Tochter zur Zeit der Recherche mal von der Kita abholte.
Dass Sönke Iwersen mal mit dem Informanten telefonierte, während er seinem Sohn beim Fußballspielen zusah.
Dass Sönke Iwersen also mindestens 2, vermutlich aber nicht – wie der Protagonist der „Tesla-Files“ – 14 Kinder hat.
Dass Anstellungsverträge in Firmen üblicher-, hier gleichwohl verdächtigerweise Verschwiegenheitsklauseln enthalten.
Dass die Arbeitssicherheit in Tesla-Fabriken so schlecht ist, dass sich während der vergangenen Jahre einmal jemand in einer Fertigungshalle die Nase gebrochen und ein anderes Mal ein anderer eine Verbrennung zugezogen hat.
Dass sich in Ermangelung von Fakten im Zusammenhang mit tödlichen Autounfällen bei Tesla-Fahrzeugen auf „Gala“- resp. „Bunte“-Niveau begeben wird: „[…] sie hat Tränen in den Augen, ihre Stimme wird zittrig, dann wendet sie sich für einen Moment von uns ab […] in ihrem Leben klafft für immer eine furchtbare Lücke […]“.
Also:
Elon M. ist echt reich und echt gefährlich und echt doof.
Dschournalistische Selbstbeweihräucherung vernebelt oftmals die Sicht auf Fakten.
Bekanntes kommt als Neues daher, Banales wird skandalisiert.
Die Veröffentlichung der „Tesla-Files“ zeitigte bislang so gut wie keine Konsequenzen.
Bisschen dünn für den ganzen Aufriss.
Dass im Titel des Enthüllungsbuchs „Die Tesla-Files“ kein Schreibfehler vorliegt – also im Wort Files kein "t" vor dem "s" fehlt –, sondern sich hier einfach investigative Coolness und internationaler Verwertbarkeitsnutzen Bahn brechen.
Dass Elon Musk immer mal wieder der reichste Mann der Welt ist.
Dass er – entsprechend der DNA kapitalistischen Agierens – ein narzisstisch schwer gestörter, zweifellos skrupelloser, frech faschistoider, blödsinnig bedenkenloser, nerdiger, autistischer, moralisch armseliger, old-school-jungs-ding-getriebener Geschäftemacher ist.
Dass er Autobauer ist.
Dass er Raketenbauer ist.
Dass er Social-Media-Network-Aktienmehrheitseigner ist.
Dass er Satelliten-in-die-Umlaufbahn-Schießer ist.
Dass er Mars-Fan ist.
Dass Donald Trump eine Ersatzvaterfigur für Elon M. ist. Mit dem hat er sich inzwischen allerdings überworfen.
Dass Elon M.s enger Beraterkreis ganz merkwürdigerweise vorwiegend aus Leuten besteht, denen er vertraut.
Dass er als amerikanischer Milliardenhallodri erwartungsgemäß nix von Gewerkschaften hält.
Dass Unfallursachen mit Todesfolge bei einigen von Tesla hergestellten Fahrzeugen absolut nicht zufriedenstellend geklärt sind.
Dass Elon M. dank seiner Haufen Milliarden auch in politischer Hinsicht einer der gefährlichsten Männer der Welt ist.
Was wir nicht wissen
Welche Konsequenzen es hat, dass Tesla die Daten seiner Mitarbeitenden nicht adäquat schützt.
Was wir gern gewusst hätten
Wie es dem Whistleblower inzwischen so geht.
Was wir nicht wissen wollen
Dass Elon M. 14 Kinder hat.
Dass er ungelenk und bauchfrei tanzt, wenn er Wahlkampfbühnen betritt.
Dass seine Mama ihn doll lieb hat.
Dass sein emotional verkümmerter Papa dagegen ganz schön unpapahaft zu ihm war.
Dass Dschournalismus schon echt toll ist [so die von vielen Vertreter(inne)n der Zunft selbst immer wieder gern, aber weder französisch noch englisch richtig verwendete Aussprache, die vor allem dann zum Einsatz kommt, wenn es um beinharte Recherche und berufliche Selbstadelung geht].
Dass das Besprechungszimmer des Handelsblatts während der Recherchen metaphernschief seeschlachthaft „die Kommandobrücke“ hieß.
Dass die Mitglieder des Investigativ-Teams folgerichtig zur „Tesla-Crew“ mutierten.
Dass Sönke Iwersen seine Tochter zur Zeit der Recherche mal von der Kita abholte.
Dass Sönke Iwersen mal mit dem Informanten telefonierte, während er seinem Sohn beim Fußballspielen zusah.
Dass Sönke Iwersen also mindestens 2, vermutlich aber nicht – wie der Protagonist der „Tesla-Files“ – 14 Kinder hat.
Dass Anstellungsverträge in Firmen üblicher-, hier gleichwohl verdächtigerweise Verschwiegenheitsklauseln enthalten.
Dass die Arbeitssicherheit in Tesla-Fabriken so schlecht ist, dass sich während der vergangenen Jahre einmal jemand in einer Fertigungshalle die Nase gebrochen und ein anderes Mal ein anderer eine Verbrennung zugezogen hat.
Dass sich in Ermangelung von Fakten im Zusammenhang mit tödlichen Autounfällen bei Tesla-Fahrzeugen auf „Gala“- resp. „Bunte“-Niveau begeben wird: „[…] sie hat Tränen in den Augen, ihre Stimme wird zittrig, dann wendet sie sich für einen Moment von uns ab […] in ihrem Leben klafft für immer eine furchtbare Lücke […]“.
Also:
Elon M. ist echt reich und echt gefährlich und echt doof.
Dschournalistische Selbstbeweihräucherung vernebelt oftmals die Sicht auf Fakten.
Bekanntes kommt als Neues daher, Banales wird skandalisiert.
Die Veröffentlichung der „Tesla-Files“ zeitigte bislang so gut wie keine Konsequenzen.
Bisschen dünn für den ganzen Aufriss.
July 17, 2025
This book has me hooked from the first sentence, "If Elon Musk had his way, this book wouldn't exist". And after reading it, I'm inclined to agree.
As an important public figure, I have heard bits and pieces about Elon Musk that make an appearance in this book, but to see it all lined up really puts into perspective how dangerous unchecked power can be.
The investigation into the Tesla Files was a riveting read, and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to have a true understanding of Tesla, in both some of its internal operations as well as the resultant external consequences.
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!
As an important public figure, I have heard bits and pieces about Elon Musk that make an appearance in this book, but to see it all lined up really puts into perspective how dangerous unchecked power can be.
The investigation into the Tesla Files was a riveting read, and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to have a true understanding of Tesla, in both some of its internal operations as well as the resultant external consequences.
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!
May 23, 2025
Elon Musk ist wie ein Kaleidoskop. Wenn man ihn durchschaut eröffnen sich tausende Blickwinkel auf seine Ignoranz, Größenwahn, Dummheit und, und, und...
Das die Menschheit ihn zum reichsten Mann der Welt gemacht hat, sagt soviel über uns aus😭
Das die Menschheit ihn zum reichsten Mann der Welt gemacht hat, sagt soviel über uns aus😭
May 20, 2025
Die „Tesla-Files“ geben Einblicke in Machtmissbrauch, Druckkultur und Kontrollwahn – sauber recherchiert und klar erzählt. Besonders interessant fand ich die Hintergrundinfos über die investigative Recherche. Trotzdem habe ich es nicht gern gelesen. Vor allem, weil die Einblicke in Musks Persönlichkeit ihn für mich noch unsympathischer und schwerer zugänglich machen. Informativ, ja – aber für mich keine Lektüre, die man genießt.
December 12, 2025
I've been wanting to read a book about Elon for a while now. This was more about Tesla than Elon proper, but still glad I read it. I have always said that, unfortunately, I doubt that there are ANY very successful businesspeople who have gotten where they are without being at least somewhat unscrupulous. This book definitely portrays that side of things. But I would want to read another account to get another perspective to balance things out before officially pronouncing my own judgement. Even so, I'm still more on the side of celebrating Tesla's innovation. 🤷🏻♂️
August 21, 2025
Really solid journalism from Handelsblatt. As someone working in cybersecurity, I honestly don’t understand how a company like Tesla can be this careless with data. The lack of basic controls, the way sensitive information was handled — it’s not just sloppy, it’s systemic.
The book doesn’t try to dramatize what’s already shocking. It lays it all out — internal emails, data leaks, employee info — and lets the material speak for itself. That’s what makes it powerful.
If you work in tech, privacy, or compliance, this is worth reading. Not because it’s surprising — but because it confirms what many of us have long suspected: security isn’t a priority unless someone forces it to be.
The book doesn’t try to dramatize what’s already shocking. It lays it all out — internal emails, data leaks, employee info — and lets the material speak for itself. That’s what makes it powerful.
If you work in tech, privacy, or compliance, this is worth reading. Not because it’s surprising — but because it confirms what many of us have long suspected: security isn’t a priority unless someone forces it to be.
August 1, 2025
This was a captivating and superb read about Musk, Tesla, and so much more! The riveting narrative, meticulous research, and fascinating facts are the perfect combination to keep readers hanging on every word. My knowledge of Elon Musk was rather limited before reading this, and some of the things I learned while reading The Tesla Files honestly blew my mind. It's quite scary what one can do and get away with when they have seemingly unlimited power. The number of people that helped in and contributed to the investigation, the time they spent, and the effort they put forth are nothing short of impressive.
October 7, 2025
Tesla is one of the leading car manufacturers in the world, led by one of the most profound and talked about individuals, Elon Musk. Musk has made quite a name for himself in the media and on various social media accounts as a boisterous character, people often question his barbaric statements and some question his vision. Being at the centre and pinnacle of technology and recently American politics, one would presume security would be at its highest level that expected from a tech firm, ironic that this wasnt the case.
However, reality is far from meeting expectations. If it wasn't for the brave-hearted whistleblower who shared these concerns, a lot of the secrets of Tesla would be buried deep under such as Autopilot dangers , security concerns and even the sickness policy within the firm.
Sönke has done an excellent job with this book, being part of the journalist team at Handlesblatt he was one of the first responders to the files and what lay beneath the reams of Gigabytes of data.
Organizing or arranging the chapters in a concise manner, even providing a brief history of Elon Musk (though this was something I was well-versed in), would certainly entice the reader to the complete picture.
The reason for the 4 stars , was moreso some of the misdirections. I felt the author got a little too ambitious delving into certain topics ,for example politics. Although politics is a big part of Musk's life , it would be better suited to stick to the topic of the files or even enter into the territory of X.
However, reality is far from meeting expectations. If it wasn't for the brave-hearted whistleblower who shared these concerns, a lot of the secrets of Tesla would be buried deep under such as Autopilot dangers , security concerns and even the sickness policy within the firm.
Sönke has done an excellent job with this book, being part of the journalist team at Handlesblatt he was one of the first responders to the files and what lay beneath the reams of Gigabytes of data.
Organizing or arranging the chapters in a concise manner, even providing a brief history of Elon Musk (though this was something I was well-versed in), would certainly entice the reader to the complete picture.
The reason for the 4 stars , was moreso some of the misdirections. I felt the author got a little too ambitious delving into certain topics ,for example politics. Although politics is a big part of Musk's life , it would be better suited to stick to the topic of the files or even enter into the territory of X.
October 27, 2025
Before notes:
Thank you Borrow Box for recommending this to me: I am absolutely invested in this kind of book. I don't normally read non fiction, or in this case listen to it, but I absolutely love hearing details about business, billionaires, the truth and everything this book seems to be about.
Would I read anything by musk? Absolutely not. I also don't want to read a fictional romance story about a girl falling for a ceo billionaire shadow daddy. I want to read or rather in this case, hear the tea about the downfall of the worlds richest man. How is he still the worlds richest man? Seriously. Give me the tea.
Thank you Borrow Box for recommending this to me: I am absolutely invested in this kind of book. I don't normally read non fiction, or in this case listen to it, but I absolutely love hearing details about business, billionaires, the truth and everything this book seems to be about.
Would I read anything by musk? Absolutely not. I also don't want to read a fictional romance story about a girl falling for a ceo billionaire shadow daddy. I want to read or rather in this case, hear the tea about the downfall of the worlds richest man. How is he still the worlds richest man? Seriously. Give me the tea.
September 5, 2025
Elon Must is not only the richest man in the world. He is also one of the most powerful and the most dangerous men alive. Sönke Iwersen and Michael Verfürden do a wonderful job of going over their investigation that started when a whistleblower delivered over 100gb of confidential Tesla files.
I was flabbergasted the whole way through this book. The borderline inexistent data protection within the company was enough to convince me that this book needed to exist. What do you mean confidential information from both clients and employees is available to anyone within the company network? Confidential information that included even Elon Musk's social security number, by the way. It was unbelievable.
But then I kept reading and saw the hole is so much deeper. This exposé includes a deep dive in the toxic work environment inside Musk's factories, his own complex family history, and the mortal dangers from erratic and unexplainable behavior from the “self-driving” cars.
The Tesla Files is a great read, but also its own contradiction. While I believe this is 300 pages of damning evidence, even the authors recognize that revelations mean even less every day Elon acquires more power. It gets harder and harder to hold him accountable for misgivings and crimes. Nevertheless, I believe this is a good overview of such an infamous public figure.
Thank you to NetGalley, Sönke Iwersen, Michael Verfürden, and Steerforth & Pushkin for the advanced copy. This review is left voluntarily and honestly.
I was flabbergasted the whole way through this book. The borderline inexistent data protection within the company was enough to convince me that this book needed to exist. What do you mean confidential information from both clients and employees is available to anyone within the company network? Confidential information that included even Elon Musk's social security number, by the way. It was unbelievable.
But then I kept reading and saw the hole is so much deeper. This exposé includes a deep dive in the toxic work environment inside Musk's factories, his own complex family history, and the mortal dangers from erratic and unexplainable behavior from the “self-driving” cars.
The Tesla Files is a great read, but also its own contradiction. While I believe this is 300 pages of damning evidence, even the authors recognize that revelations mean even less every day Elon acquires more power. It gets harder and harder to hold him accountable for misgivings and crimes. Nevertheless, I believe this is a good overview of such an infamous public figure.
Thank you to NetGalley, Sönke Iwersen, Michael Verfürden, and Steerforth & Pushkin for the advanced copy. This review is left voluntarily and honestly.
August 31, 2025
Wer die Handelsblatt-Recherchen ein wenig verfolgt, findet nicht soooo viel Neues in diesem Buch, das tatsächlich von der Aufbau und der Sprache her eher einem langen Artikel ähnelt. Und doch fand ich es wichtig und spannend, über den Musk-Mythos zu sprechen, über die Macht und die absurde Realität, in der wir leben, aber auch darüber, was es bedeutet, ein/-e Investigativjournalist/-in zu sein
May 8, 2025
Wahrlich erschreckend und was für eine unfassende Recherche. Über die Resultate Zweiteres hätte ich gerne mehr in dem Buch gelesen
July 28, 2025
A whistle blower reveals the truth on how Tesla is actually run. It is even worse than most of us suspected.
September 12, 2025
"Elon Musk is evil."
I really liked how the book focuses just on the facts (the quote above is from the whistleblower who leaked the documents to the journalists).
I really liked how the book focuses just on the facts (the quote above is from the whistleblower who leaked the documents to the journalists).
October 28, 2025
This book went in the bin from how pathetic the authors are.
The authors are clearly biased in the way they talk about Tesla, and relish the fact they got “sensitive information” under the guise of reporting. In fact, it blows my mind the authors are so excited, rather than concerned, about having such information since found something “bad” about Elon. However, they use the cover as justice for justification, which is a poor and easily seen through.
They turned normal company reporting and statistics into “evil information” when it is normal and even expected for car companies to have statistics of their mishaps.
“We find the names of thousands of Tesla drivers whose vehicles allegedly braked or accelerated without cause.”
LOL. WELL AUTHORS, I would hope to God you would find such statistics in a car company needing to know how to improve?! How is a company who needs to improve supposed to function without such statistics? Should they let it happen and ignore it and not make statistics?
I bet Toyota and BMW have the same exact thing but they choose to use Tesla’s very normal reporting as something evil and it’s so clearly demented.
Also many comments were unwarranted.
“Unlike most people, however, Musk couldn’t moderate his gaming even at age 50.” How clearly CONDESCENDING!
Authors Sonke, Michael let me ask you - where did you did you get the statistics? Did you know how many 50-year-olds game and moderate their gaming? Did you conduct a study of “most people” , the amount they play, and their moderation?????? how do you know that most people are not addicted? And did you know that most people are addicted?
And, even if Elon is different, why does it bother you so much to make it backhanded comment?!
The authors should be ashamed. What I couldn’t get over was how they clearly relish so much in the fact of this “data leak” which seems like an unhappy, vengeful employee.
Also, authors - I don’t buy your guise of reporting to sift through people’s information. If you really cared, you would alert the appropriate people, NOT actually share it as you all basically caused the leak, and not relish in it so much.
The fact you couldn’t get Elon to answer your emails and calls has made you very bitter authors, and it shows.
Pathetic.
The authors are clearly biased in the way they talk about Tesla, and relish the fact they got “sensitive information” under the guise of reporting. In fact, it blows my mind the authors are so excited, rather than concerned, about having such information since found something “bad” about Elon. However, they use the cover as justice for justification, which is a poor and easily seen through.
They turned normal company reporting and statistics into “evil information” when it is normal and even expected for car companies to have statistics of their mishaps.
“We find the names of thousands of Tesla drivers whose vehicles allegedly braked or accelerated without cause.”
LOL. WELL AUTHORS, I would hope to God you would find such statistics in a car company needing to know how to improve?! How is a company who needs to improve supposed to function without such statistics? Should they let it happen and ignore it and not make statistics?
I bet Toyota and BMW have the same exact thing but they choose to use Tesla’s very normal reporting as something evil and it’s so clearly demented.
Also many comments were unwarranted.
“Unlike most people, however, Musk couldn’t moderate his gaming even at age 50.” How clearly CONDESCENDING!
Authors Sonke, Michael let me ask you - where did you did you get the statistics? Did you know how many 50-year-olds game and moderate their gaming? Did you conduct a study of “most people” , the amount they play, and their moderation?????? how do you know that most people are not addicted? And did you know that most people are addicted?
And, even if Elon is different, why does it bother you so much to make it backhanded comment?!
The authors should be ashamed. What I couldn’t get over was how they clearly relish so much in the fact of this “data leak” which seems like an unhappy, vengeful employee.
Also, authors - I don’t buy your guise of reporting to sift through people’s information. If you really cared, you would alert the appropriate people, NOT actually share it as you all basically caused the leak, and not relish in it so much.
The fact you couldn’t get Elon to answer your emails and calls has made you very bitter authors, and it shows.
Pathetic.
December 1, 2025
Elon Musk. A man that needs no introduction.
As the world's richest man and CEO of some of the biggest companies, Musk has his fair share of supporters and critics. His companies, especially Tesla, have always been cloaked in secrecy—until now. Thanks to the bravery of whistleblower Lukasz Krupski in releasing the "Tesla Files" and the excellent journalistic work conducted by Sonke Iwersen and the Handelsblatt team, Tesla's veil has finally been lifted, revealing the murkiness beneath.
The revelations are shocking, broadly categorised into concerns relating to I.T. security, Autopilot safety and working conditions. As a consequence, my opinion of the Tesla brand has radically shifted.
Previously, I had limited knowledge of Musk's biography beyond excerpts encountered online and in conversation. Thankfully, a chapter is included that provides an executive summary of Musk's life. I appreciated this addition, which quickly brought me up to speed. I was surprised by how up-to-date the book is, tapping into his acquisition of Twitter and covering his political endeavours (despite how short-lived those were).
Given that journalism is usually viewed with scepticism, it was fascinating to get an inside look into how a journalistic investigation is conducted, appreciating its thoroughness and complexity. It was no less impressive than the criminal investigations one would see in a movie.
The book is structured in a way that is new to me, with each chapter broken into several mini-chapters. I enjoyed this approach as it made the content feel more digestible. The only issues I have with the book are that some topics went on for longer than necessary. In addition, the way the book was sequenced resulted in the authors circling back and repeating themselves sometimes, which felt jarring at times.
Nevertheless, this remains a thoroughly enjoyable and eye-opening read. For anyone who has ever owned, admired, or been sceptical of the company, this book is a must-read.
As the world's richest man and CEO of some of the biggest companies, Musk has his fair share of supporters and critics. His companies, especially Tesla, have always been cloaked in secrecy—until now. Thanks to the bravery of whistleblower Lukasz Krupski in releasing the "Tesla Files" and the excellent journalistic work conducted by Sonke Iwersen and the Handelsblatt team, Tesla's veil has finally been lifted, revealing the murkiness beneath.
The revelations are shocking, broadly categorised into concerns relating to I.T. security, Autopilot safety and working conditions. As a consequence, my opinion of the Tesla brand has radically shifted.
Previously, I had limited knowledge of Musk's biography beyond excerpts encountered online and in conversation. Thankfully, a chapter is included that provides an executive summary of Musk's life. I appreciated this addition, which quickly brought me up to speed. I was surprised by how up-to-date the book is, tapping into his acquisition of Twitter and covering his political endeavours (despite how short-lived those were).
Given that journalism is usually viewed with scepticism, it was fascinating to get an inside look into how a journalistic investigation is conducted, appreciating its thoroughness and complexity. It was no less impressive than the criminal investigations one would see in a movie.
The book is structured in a way that is new to me, with each chapter broken into several mini-chapters. I enjoyed this approach as it made the content feel more digestible. The only issues I have with the book are that some topics went on for longer than necessary. In addition, the way the book was sequenced resulted in the authors circling back and repeating themselves sometimes, which felt jarring at times.
Nevertheless, this remains a thoroughly enjoyable and eye-opening read. For anyone who has ever owned, admired, or been sceptical of the company, this book is a must-read.
August 14, 2025
I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley, and *The Tesla Files* is a fascinating, fast-paced read that pulls back the curtain on one of the world's most secretive companies. The writing strikes that perfect investigative-journalism tone—blending hard facts with urgency that makes it read like a thriller. I appreciated how the authors provided context to the whistleblower's story and Tesla's corporate culture rather than just focusing on sensational claims.
However, the abundance of details and names occasionally becomes overwhelming, and at times I wished the narrative would slow down to let the more significant revelations sink in. Nevertheless, it's an eye-opening and thought-provoking examination of the intersection between technology, power, and personality. If you enjoy corporate exposés, investigative reporting, or want to see beyond Tesla and Elon Musk's public image, this book is definitely worth reading.
However, the abundance of details and names occasionally becomes overwhelming, and at times I wished the narrative would slow down to let the more significant revelations sink in. Nevertheless, it's an eye-opening and thought-provoking examination of the intersection between technology, power, and personality. If you enjoy corporate exposés, investigative reporting, or want to see beyond Tesla and Elon Musk's public image, this book is definitely worth reading.
October 3, 2025
The book serves as both investigative journalism and democratic alarm bell: unchecked power concentrated in the hands of one man who recognizes no limits, accepts no oversight, and views present-day suffering as acceptable collateral damage for his vision of tomorrow.
It documents how Elon Musk built an empire on systematic deception—dangerous products marketed as revolutionary, exploited workers framed as mission-driven, and crashed vehicles marked "resolved" without answers for grieving families. His $400+ billion fortune bought political power to eliminate accountability. The authors' verdict: "We're all Musked"—living in a world where tech billionaires can purchase democracy itself, reshape regulations to suit their interests, and face no consequences for the human cost of their ambitions.
Upon finish reading the book, one needs to rethink whether Musk's value judgment is acceptable or not.
It documents how Elon Musk built an empire on systematic deception—dangerous products marketed as revolutionary, exploited workers framed as mission-driven, and crashed vehicles marked "resolved" without answers for grieving families. His $400+ billion fortune bought political power to eliminate accountability. The authors' verdict: "We're all Musked"—living in a world where tech billionaires can purchase democracy itself, reshape regulations to suit their interests, and face no consequences for the human cost of their ambitions.
Upon finish reading the book, one needs to rethink whether Musk's value judgment is acceptable or not.
August 1, 2025
Interesting and well researched
A factual read, very well presented. I was astonished about how much about Elon and Tesla I still didn’t know. The inside workings of the company, the code of ethics or lack of, is astonishing. The holes in employee and customer privacy protection makes me feel lucky for never purchasing a Tesla car or working in this company. It sounds like it’s run by complete cowboys: rules are being perceived merely as something that will slow the big boss and the progress down. Anything that is sacrificed in the Elon’s vision of “progress”, the definition of “collateral damage”, is redefined by this man and painted in the darkest of ways.
Eye opening, eerie and educational. Paints a picture of Elon Musk and his personality probably more than any autobiography would. Highly recommend.
A factual read, very well presented. I was astonished about how much about Elon and Tesla I still didn’t know. The inside workings of the company, the code of ethics or lack of, is astonishing. The holes in employee and customer privacy protection makes me feel lucky for never purchasing a Tesla car or working in this company. It sounds like it’s run by complete cowboys: rules are being perceived merely as something that will slow the big boss and the progress down. Anything that is sacrificed in the Elon’s vision of “progress”, the definition of “collateral damage”, is redefined by this man and painted in the darkest of ways.
Eye opening, eerie and educational. Paints a picture of Elon Musk and his personality probably more than any autobiography would. Highly recommend.
September 29, 2025
A compelling expose of today's tyrant. An insight into the investigation of one of the most exciting companies of our age. Deconstructing the vision a gut wrenching dissapointment.
I, along with many, was once a Tesla fanatic. Musk was on a mission to Mars and I was excited for it.
Yet, Musk will let you put your bare hands into an active fire, use Full Self Drive to train his AI one day. Then fire you or cover up his systems failures that led to your death. All for the future of Macaskills 5 trillion humans.
The conclusion, we have all been Musked and only the absurdity of fate can let us out.
I, along with many, was once a Tesla fanatic. Musk was on a mission to Mars and I was excited for it.
Yet, Musk will let you put your bare hands into an active fire, use Full Self Drive to train his AI one day. Then fire you or cover up his systems failures that led to your death. All for the future of Macaskills 5 trillion humans.
The conclusion, we have all been Musked and only the absurdity of fate can let us out.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 20, 2025
It is unbelievable how the actual company Tesla behaves versus its marketing. Customer data is unencrypted, was easily copyable and leakable and in fact it was - straight to Handelsblatt journalists - who then forensically looked at how the company treats its customer complaints, its own employees (even visiting them at home when they call in sick to check if they really are - which is some fascist invasion of privacy nonsense that should bed and usually is, illegal) and more. A fascinating look behind the veil of a usually secretive company.
October 16, 2025
I ironically read/listened to most of this while using the Self-Driving feature of my Tesla. Not much that I found new or surprising because much of the Elon history/current is widely covered, and I wasn't particularly interested in the investigative process that they went through. It definitely makes a convincing point about his megalomania, hypocrisy, and troubling world-view that treats the rest of us as NPCs... but again, I'm not sure how "new" that felt to me. Still important for people to know.
November 28, 2025
fast-paced and very digestible. Shocking from first to last page and bang up to date. motivates me to read the original published articles. Good description of Musk and many voices of low paid staff (Musk and Tesla) but where is the story of the senior managers, execs and board members who are also implicated? The safety stuff is mind-blowing. what are UK regulators doing about cars that burn with doors locked? I was keen on the concept of autonomous vehicles until this forced me to think about what kind of people might be controlling them
October 3, 2025
There's a good deal of interesting stuff here but a lot of ground retread so if you've been tracking Tesla for a while, you'll have read a lot of the information in the contextual chapters many times. But when the book focuses on the 'files' themselves - the labour outrages, the criminal negligence, the lack of concern for human life and health, the shutting down of dissent etc - it's truly excellent. Well worth a read if you're keeping an eye on Tesla.
November 21, 2025
Sehr spannendes Einblicke in Tesla die es sonst selten gibt. Sehr objektiv beschriebenes Buch und empfehlenswert. An manchen Stellen etwas negativ gefärbt - gute Kulturansätze die nicht in das klassische deutsche Denken passen, werden da mitbewertet, obwohl das Buch neutral bleiben wollte. Am Ende ein bisschen sehr pessimistisch, was sich dann auch als nicht wahr herausgestellt hat. Es gibt keine grenzenlose Macht, aber besser macht das die Situation wie sie ist, auch nur bedingt.
August 14, 2025
If you hate Elon Musk, you’ll love this book.
Incredibly gripping and insightful. I tore through it!
Amazing journalism. What a juicy read.
Incredibly gripping and insightful. I tore through it!
Amazing journalism. What a juicy read.
August 28, 2025
The book shines the most when they tease the contents of the files. However, it all remains quite superficial. All in all, this is a quick and entertaining read.
September 11, 2025
Eat the rich!
October 16, 2025
Scary insights into Elon Musk's companies, technology drawbacks of Tesla, etc. Slightly biazed views, but interesting
November 24, 2025
insbesondere spannend wie investigativ Journalismus funktioniert am Anfang
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