Tesla is under investigation by the US Department of Justice following chief executive Elon Musk’s claim last month that he had secured funding to take the company private, according to a person briefed on the matter.
The criminal probe into Tesla is running alongside a previously reported civil investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Bloomberg first reported the justice department's investigation.
Representatives for Tesla and Mr Musk did not immediately return a request for comment, nor did spokespeople for the justice department and the US Attorney’s office for the northern district of California
Shares in Tesla gave up a gain of as much as 2.7 per cent to trade 5 per cent lower at $280.08 in late-morning trading in New York on the news. – Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2018