• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

The U.S. spent $30 billion to ditch textbooks for laptops and tablets: The result is the first generation less cognitively capable than their parents

2

Peter Thiel and other tech billionaires are publicly shielding their children from the products that made them rich

3

A Trump Account could make your kid a millionaire by 45—but financial experts say the app's projections come with a catch

1

The U.S. spent $30 billion to ditch textbooks for laptops and tablets: The result is the first generation less cognitively capable than their parents

2

Peter Thiel and other tech billionaires are publicly shielding their children from the products that made them rich

3

A Trump Account could make your kid a millionaire by 45—but financial experts say the app's projections come with a catch
TechTesla

Was Tesla really trying to build a glass house for CEO Elon Musk? U.S. prosecutors are reportedly looking into it

Nicholas Gordon
By
Nicholas Gordon
Nicholas Gordon
Asia Editor
Down Arrow Button Icon
Nicholas Gordon
By
Nicholas Gordon
Nicholas Gordon
Asia Editor
Down Arrow Button Icon
August 31, 2023, 7:04 AM ET
Chief Executive Officer of SpaceX and Tesla and owner of Twitter, Elon Musk gestures as he attends the Viva Technology conference dedicated to innovation and startups at the Porte de Versailles exhibition centre on June 16, 2023 in Paris, France.
Elon Musk, pictured in June 2023, is the owner of X, formerly known as Twitter.Chesnot/Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

The controversy around why Tesla ordered millions of dollars’ worth of special glass—reportedly for a glass-walled residence for CEO Elon Musk—may soon involve U.S. officials.

Recommended Video

Last year a suspiciously large order of glazing triggered an internal investigation at the electric vehicle manufacturer, as company leaders tried to determine what it was going to be used for.

Now, both the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the Securities and Exchange Commission will investigate the matter, reports the Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed sources. Both investigations are reportedly in an early stage, and so may not lead to a conclusion of wrongdoing by Tesla. 

Musk is not directly involved in the procurement order in question, reports Bloomberg.

On X, Musk responded to reports of the probes by calling them “pretty funny,” and suggested the Wall Street Journal was in competition with The Babylon Bee, a satirical conservative publication.  

Tesla, the SEC, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York did not immediately respond to Fortune’s request for comment made outside U.S. business hours. 

What is Project 42?

The reported probe marks a new step in the controversy around a Tesla project internally dubbed “Project 42,” apparently earmarked for Tesla’s new hub outside Austin.

Last year, Bloomberg reported the EV manufacturer had launched an internal investigation after uncovering the large order of glass, with the company’s finance and internal audit groups trying to determine whether purchases were meant for Musk’s personal use.

Earlier this year, the Wall Street Journal offered further details on what the glass was going to be used for: a house for Elon Musk. Documents showed a glass-walled structure, with one design looking similar to Apple’s retail outlet on Fifth Avenue in New York City. 

Tesla leaders, including members of the company’s board, were concerned that company resources—including employee time—were being used for the project, and wanted to know if Musk was involved in the decision. 

In terms of Musk’s current living arrangements, the owner of X—the social media network once known as Twitter—told the BBC in April he sometimes sleeps at the platform’s office in San Francisco. The billionaire also often claims that he stays at the homes of friends. 

Perhaps looking to stay similarly close to his other ventures, Musk and his associates have reportedly bought thousands of acres of land outside Austin, near the Texas-based facilities of SpaceX and the Boring Co., both Musk-founded firms.

The group has explored plans to turn the site into its own town, which would allow it to set some of its own regulations, reported the Wall Street Journal in March. 

Tesla moved its headquarters from California to Texas in 2021, and opened its Texas gigafactory near Austin in 2022. The company currently produces Model Y cars there and plans to make its Cybertruck pickup at the facility. 

About the Author
Nicholas Gordon
By Nicholas GordonAsia Editor
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Nicholas Gordon is an Asia editor based in Hong Kong, where he helps to drive Fortune’s coverage of Asian business and economics news.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

u
PoliticsSocial Media
Europe to social media platforms: make yourself safe for kids under 13, somehow
By Lorne Cook, Kelvin Chan and The Associated PressJuly 13, 2026
10 minutes ago
Meta’s AI data center cost went from $10 billion to $50 billion in under 2 years—and split the town in two
Big TechMeta
Meta’s AI data center cost went from $10 billion to $50 billion in under 2 years—and split the town in two
By Sydney LakeJuly 13, 2026
15 minutes ago
b
CommentaryWorld Cup
Columbia Business School professors: What the Balogun red card can teach us about AI and judgment
By Oded Netzer, Christopher Frank and Paul MagnoneJuly 13, 2026
53 minutes ago
‘We are driving in the fog’: Hundreds of economists admit they’re flying blind on AI
Economydisruption
‘We are driving in the fog’: Hundreds of economists admit they’re flying blind on AI
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 13, 2026
3 hours ago
Shuman Ghosemajumder
Cybersecuritycyber
Exclusive: Google’s former ‘click fraud czar’ emerges from stealth with an on-device AI shield against AI-powered phishing, deepfakes, and other scams
By Jeremy KahnJuly 13, 2026
4 hours ago
Rocket shortage leaves Europe defenseless in space wars
Europespace
Rocket shortage leaves Europe defenseless in space wars
By Gerry Doyle, Alan Crawford and BloombergJuly 13, 2026
5 hours ago

Most Popular

The U.S. spent $30 billion to ditch textbooks for laptops and tablets: The result is the first generation less cognitively capable than their parents
Innovation
The U.S. spent $30 billion to ditch textbooks for laptops and tablets: The result is the first generation less cognitively capable than their parents
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 12, 2026
1 day ago
Peter Thiel and other tech billionaires are publicly shielding their children from the products that made them rich
Big Tech
Peter Thiel and other tech billionaires are publicly shielding their children from the products that made them rich
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJuly 12, 2026
1 day ago
A Trump Account could make your kid a millionaire by 45—but financial experts say the app's projections come with a catch
Personal Finance
A Trump Account could make your kid a millionaire by 45—but financial experts say the app's projections come with a catch
By Sydney LakeJuly 12, 2026
1 day ago
Wyoming officials say Meta’s 715,000-square-foot data center is responsible for contaminating its water system with a rare bacterium
Environment
Wyoming officials say Meta’s 715,000-square-foot data center is responsible for contaminating its water system with a rare bacterium
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 10, 2026
3 days ago
A Yale professor says America is now an 'oldigarchy'—and Boomers on LinkedIn are enraged
Crypto
A Yale professor says America is now an 'oldigarchy'—and Boomers on LinkedIn are enraged
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 12, 2026
1 day ago
Trump’s time is running out to avoid a nightmare Strait of Hormuz scenario
Energy
Trump’s time is running out to avoid a nightmare Strait of Hormuz scenario
By Jordan BlumJuly 12, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.