Tesla raises size of share sale, Musk to buy more

03 May, 2019

Tesla Inc on Friday raised the size of its planned share offering to 3.1 million shares, priced at $243 apiece, and said Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk would now buy stock worth up to $25 million, more than double his initial commitment.

Tesla had said on Thursday it would raise up to $2.3 billion in new capital through shares and debt, easing Wall Street concerns about the money-losing company's ability to overcome a drop in sales and build new product lines.

The filing on Thursday also showed that it would offer a total of around 2.7 million shares, with Musk pitching in $10 million of his own money.

Tesla's plan to issue shares and convertible debt comes after the company repeatedly pushed back forecasts for turning a profit.

The company faces expensive challenges, including launching production in China, overhauling its US retail and service operations and developing new models, including the high-volume Model Y SUV and a Semi commercial truck.

Shares of the electric-car maker were up 1.5 percent at $247.80 before the bell.

Copyright Reuters, 2019

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