Recent reports have highlighted a $1.4 billion discrepancy in Tesla’s financial statements, raising concerns about the company’s accounting practices. Specifically, in the latter half of 2024, Tesla reported $6.3 billion in capital expenditures for property and equipment, yet the corresponding increase in property, plant, and equipment was only $4.9 billion, leaving a $1.4 billion gap.
Typically, capital expenditures closely align with asset valuation increases, barring significant asset sales, impairments, or foreign exchange fluctuations—none of which Tesla reported during this period.
Additionally, despite holding $37 billion in cash reserves, Tesla raised $6 billion in new debt last year, a move that has puzzled analysts given the current economic climate.
Furthermore, despite generating $15 billion in operating cash flow—surpassing its capital expenditures—Tesla has neither initiated share buybacks nor issued dividends, a rarity among large corporations.
These anomalies have drawn parallels to past financial scandals, prompting calls for greater scrutiny of Tesla’s financial reporting and internal controls.
