Tesla CEO Elon Musk is being investigated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for specific comments and efforts to promote the automaker’s claims about its “self-driving” capabilities. The SEC’s investigation into Musk is part of the SEC’s larger effort to determine whether Tesla violated its rules in promoting its FSD and Autopilot offerings.
The SEC does not typically comment on ongoing investigations before formally filing suit, and has not done so in this case. Recent revelations, however, may explain why Musk is on their radar when it comes to Tesla’s “self-driving” technology: Last week, testimony from a senior engineer on Tesla’s Autopilot software team revealed that a video released by the company in 2016 purporting to show a Tesla vehicle driving itself was in fact staged. According to subsequent Bloomberg reporting, Musk oversaw and directed the video.
