May 15 - Robyn Denholm, Tesla's board chair, sold about $198 million of her company shares over the past six months, according to a New York Times analysis of securities filings.

Those sales, which bring her lifetime profit from Tesla stock to more than $530 million since 2018, were executed under a prearranged trading plan set last summer.

The timing coincided with CEO Elon Musk's stint in the Trump administration, which has been linked to a drop in car sales and contributed to Tesla's first-quarter profit falling to its lowest level in four years.

Denholm earned her shares through options granted between 2014 and 2020. For example, she exercised roughly 112,000 options at about $24.73 per share before immediately selling them above $270 each.

Critics say such insider sales can signal wavering confidence. Brad Lander, New York City comptroller, noted that unloading stock undercuts the image of a chair invested in the future of the company.

A Tesla spokesman countered that director compensation aligns with shareholder interests and reflects the automaker's industry-leading performance.

This article first appeared on GuruFocus.

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