If Elon Musk had his way, this book wouldn’t exist. When we sent him our questions about the Tesla Files in May 2023, the reply came straight from his legal department. We weren’t allowed to have these files, a Tesla lawyer informed us, demanding their deletion. Tesla announced legal action, stating: ‘As you know, use of illegally obtained data for media reporting is not allowed absent exceptional circumstances.’ Perfect, we thought – exceptional circumstances are a given. The world’s richest man, the most valuable car manufacturer, the largest private space company – the story of Elon Musk is an endless chain of superlatives. It couldn’t possibly be more exceptional.

— The Tesla Files by Sönke Iwersen, Michael Verfürden (2%)