The Tesla Files: A Whistleblower, a Leak, a Fight for Truth: The Inside Story of Musk's Empire

A whistleblower. A 100-GB-leak of confidential internal documents. A corporation in crisis

A riveting tale of journalistic enterprise, ethics, and the courage to follow the evidence where it leads

The 1st major work about Elon Musk and Tesla since Musk inserted himself directly into presidential politics and, through DOGE, into the lives of millions of Americans

When an anonymous whistleblower and former Tesla employee approached Germany's business newspaper Handelsblatt in November 2022, the newsroom was stunned. The allegations were astounding. Months of relentless investigation confirmed them to be true.

In The Tesla Files, Handelsblatt journalists Sönke Iwersen and Michael Verfürden tell the full story. Drawing on 23,000 leaked documents, 100 gigabytes of confidential data, and hundreds of interviews with employees and customers, they deliver an unprecedented look inside the world's most secretive automaker.

This is a portrait of a company that values hype over substance, and a CEO who demands devotion while ruling through fear. It also traces Elon Musk's ascent into the highest echelons of politics--marked by a pattern of obfuscation and manipulation.

Author: Sönke Iwersen,Michael Verfürden
Publisher: Steerforth Press
Published: 09/09/2025
Pages: 368
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.97lbs
Size: 8.98h x 5.98w x 1.10d
ISBN: 9781586424404


Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 09/29/2025

About the Author
Sönke Iwersen is an award-winning journalist who has led the investigative team at Germany'stop business newspaper, Handelsblatt, since 2012. Known for uncovering complex stories withprecision, he has received numerous accolades, including four Watchdog Awards, the KurtTucholsky Prize for Literary Journalism, and the German Reporter Prize. Named BusinessJournalist of the Year, Iwersen also teaches at the Georg von Holtzbrinck School for BusinessJournalists and hosts the acclaimed podcast Handelsblatt Crime, where he merges investigativerigor with compelling storytelling.

Michael Verfürden is a distinguished investigative journalist at Handelsblatt, renowned for his in-depth reporting on topics such as abuse of power in the financial sector, questionable real estatepractices, and corporate-targeted cyberattacks. His relentless investigation into the Wirecardscandal unearthed secrets that even German law enforcement agencies had missed. Verfürdenteaches research methods in cyberspace at the Georg von Holtzbrinck School for BusinessJournalists, blending traditional investigative techniques with advanced digital tools.