Former US Vice President Al Gore could be a good fit to replace Elon Musk as chairman, according to one longtime tech analyst.
Gene Munster, venture capitalist at Loup Ventures, said Gore would be able to use the role to get Musk, who is still CEO of Tesla, in line.
Musk agreed to resign as Tesla chairman within 45 days as part of his settlement with the SEC.
Munster said Gore would be a worthwhile candidate as he has served on Apple’s board of directors since 2003 and is a prominent figure in the alternative energy industry.
“The open board chairperson role creates an opportunity for Tesla to potentially put someone in place that is capable of influencing Musk and helping Tesla reach sustainability,” said Munster, who is a noted Tesla bull. “Al Gore, currently on Apple’s board, could be an interesting fit given his interest in climate change.”
Additionally, Gore notably voiced his confidence in Musk’s vision for Tesla in a Reddit “Ask Me Anything” thread a few years ago.
In response to a question asking whether he thought Tesla would “make it as a car company,” Gore replied: “Yes! In Musk I trust.”
Tesla is now looking to fill its chairman role following the company’s announcement of Musk’s resignation over the weekend.
The move brings a conclusion to the SEC fraud charges over his infamous ‘funding secured’ tweet.
Musk posted a series of tweets in August that detailed his now-defunct plans to take the electric carmaker private.
Munster added that the settlement serves as a good opportunity for Musk to re-evaluate how interacts with the public on Twitter.
In response, Musk tweeted yeseterday:
Naughty by Nature ?https://t.co/muZdxJWjyZ
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 1, 2018
Besides a new chairman, Tesla was also ordered to appoint two new, independent members to its board.