JB Straubel
TeslaAbout JB Straubel
JB Straubel, age 49, has served as an independent director of Tesla since 2023 and his current term expires in 2026. He is the Founder and CEO of Redwood Materials, and previously co-founded Tesla and served as its Chief Technology Officer from May 2005 to July 2019; he holds a B.S. in Energy Systems Engineering and an M.S. in Engineering from Stanford University . The Board determined JB Straubel is an independent director under Nasdaq rules and applicable law .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tesla, Inc. | Co-Founder; Chief Technology Officer | May 2005 – July 2019 | Led technology, R&D and operations; key member of leadership team |
| SolarCity Corporation | Director | Aug 2006 – Nov 2016 | Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee member |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Redwood Materials Inc. | Founder & Chief Executive Officer | Not disclosed | Cleantech/battery materials; large-scale anode/cathode from recycled batteries |
| QuantumScape Corporation | Director | Since Nov 2020 | Public company board experience in solid-state batteries |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: As of 2025, Audit Committee members are Robyn Denholm, Joe Gebbia, and Jack Hartung; JB Straubel is not listed . Compensation Committee members are Ira Ehrenpreis, Robyn Denholm, and Kathleen Wilson‑Thompson; JB Straubel is not listed . Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee members are Ira Ehrenpreis, Robyn Denholm, James Murdoch, and Kathleen Wilson‑Thompson; JB Straubel is not listed . Disclosure Controls Committee members are Robyn Denholm, James Murdoch, and Kathleen Wilson‑Thompson; JB Straubel is not listed .
- Independence: Board determined JB Straubel is independent under Nasdaq standards and applicable law .
- Attendance: Each director attended or participated in at least 75% of Board and applicable committee meetings in 2024 . All directors attended the 2024 Annual Meeting .
- Board leadership: Robyn Denholm serves as independent Chair of the Board and leads executive sessions of independent directors; committees consist solely of independent directors .
Fixed Compensation
| Director | 2024 Annual Retainer (Cash) | 2024 Committee Fees (Cash) | 2024 Option Awards ($) | Total 2024 Compensation ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JB Straubel | — (none) | — (none) | — (none) | — (none) |
- All seven outside directors requested elimination of future payment of cash retainers unless notified otherwise .
Performance Compensation
| Director | 2024 Equity Grants (RSUs/PSUs) | 2024 Option Awards ($) | Vesting / Performance Metrics |
|---|---|---|---|
| JB Straubel | None disclosed | — (none) | Not applicable |
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Entity | Relationship to JB Straubel | Nature of Tesla Relationship | 2024/2025 Transaction Amounts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Redwood Materials Inc. | CEO (current) | Agreement for Tesla to supply certain scrap materials to Redwood | Redwood incurred approx. $30.3 million (2024) and approx. $0.6 million through Feb 2025 |
| QuantumScape Corporation | Director (since Nov 2020) | No Tesla transaction disclosed | Not disclosed in proxy |
Red flag potential: Related person transaction between Tesla and Redwood while Straubel is Redwood’s CEO; Board discloses the arrangement in “Related Person Transactions” .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Extensive experience in cleantech and batteries; founder of Redwood focusing on recycling and domestic battery materials; deep operational and technology background from Tesla CTO tenure .
- Engineering credentials (Stanford B.S. and M.S.) with emphasis on energy conversion .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned | % of Shares Outstanding | Options Exercisable within 60 Days | Pledged Shares |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JB Straubel | 0 | * (less than 1%) | — (none) | None disclosed |
Governance Assessment
- Independence and attendance: Classified independent and met attendance thresholds; attended the 2024 Annual Meeting, supporting baseline governance effectiveness .
- Committee engagement: Not currently serving on core Board committees (Audit, Compensation, Nominating, Disclosure Controls) per 2025 membership lists, limiting direct oversight influence in those areas .
- Pay and alignment: Received no director cash or equity compensation in 2024; outside directors requested elimination of cash retainers. However, beneficial ownership shows 0 Tesla shares and no options, indicating limited personal financial alignment via share ownership .
- Conflicts and related party exposure: Tesla’s commercial arrangement with Redwood (approx. $30.3 million in 2024 and approx. $0.6 million through Feb 2025) is a disclosed related person transaction due to Straubel’s role as Redwood CEO; merits ongoing monitoring for Board independence and transactional fairness .