Elon Musk Gets Bizarre New Title as CEO of Tesla

Elon Musk has an odd new title at Tesla: “Technoking.” Musk filed new paperwork with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Monday, adding the title “Technoking of Tesla” to his resume, according to a report by CNN Business. The same filing grants his Chief Financial Officer Zach Kirkhorn the title “Master of Coin.”

The paperwork makes the odd new titles official, though it also includes their more traditional titles as well. Musk has a well-documented dislike for the SEC, having clashed with the regulatory agency several times. In 2018, he actually lost his status as chairman of Tesla when the SEC cracked down on him for making “deceptive tweets” about his business. Musk reached a settlement with the agency that included being stripped of his chairman status.

That same settlement almost cost Musk his “CEO” title as well, but ultimately the SEC agreed to let him pay a $20 million fine instead. Some are speculating that Musk’s new “Technoking” title might be meant to mock the SEC and its policing of his titles. Commenters on social media either seem to love the move or despise it.

“So, we all found out that the SEC didn’t sue Elon last week. But — as of today — if they ever do again, they’ll have to refer to Elon in court as “Technoking of Tesla,” one person tweeted with a pair of laughing-crying emojis. “Trolling level 9,000.” Another person wrote: “[What the f—] have they been smoking!?” while a third commented: “This guy is more meme by the day. Just hope he doesn’t lose focus.”

The name-change filing also distracts from another filing from the controversial electric car company. The president of Tesla’s automotive division, Jerome Guillen, has reportedly “transitioned” to become president of Tesla’s heavy Truck. The manufacturer has been working on an electric semi-tractor truck for some time, but the project has been repeatedly delayed. It has been referred to at times as the “Cybertruck.”

Fans of Musk love his eccentric behavior both in business and in life. He raised eyebrows by naming his child “X Æ A-12” last spring and has helped promote cryptocurrency with widespread meme campaigns that are shocking to see from a billionaire of his business status.

However, Musk’s controversial behavior also veers outside of harmless pranks at times, his critics say. He has been heavily criticized for his commentary of the coronavirus pandemic, including spreading misinformation on social media and trying to evade stay-at-home orders at his factories. He has also been accused of creating a dangerous environment for his workers — particularly at Tesla — according to a report by Reveal, and of violating environmental codes, according to a report by The Verge. With that in mind, the title “Technoking” strikes many as ominous, not playful.