Is Billionaire Now Distancing Himself From Startup?

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Slate Auto is among the electric vehicle companies that have tried to take on Tesla Inc over the years. With the backing of billionaire and Tesla CEO Elon Musk rival, Jeff Bezos and a focus on affordability, the company was viewed as a viable threat.

But, the involvement of Bezos may be shrinking ahead of production.

Bezos Backs Away From Slate

Slate Auto hit 150,000 reservations for its flagship electric pickup truck in December 2025. With the backing of Bezos, the company has generated lots of positive attention ahead of releasing the truck, planned to have a low starting price and charge for additional features.

A new report from TechCrunch said Bezos’ involvement with Slate Auto may be shrinking. According to the report, Melinda Lewinson stepped down from the Slate Auto board of directors in the last few months.

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Lewinson is the head of investments for Bezos Expeditions, the investment company of the Amazon.com founder.

Without Lewinson on the board, Bezos would have no direct representation with the startup and would be only an investor. Former Slate Auto CEO Chris Barman previously said Bezos was “pretty hands-off.”

The change to the board may have been for several reasons and have nothing to do with Bezos’ belief in the company’s future.

Benzinga reached out to Slate Auto for comment.

Bezos was announced as an investor in Slate Auto for its 2023 funding round, which raised $120 million. A subsequent Series B round with funding of $700 million may have included another investment from Bezos, but Slate did not confirm that.

The most recent funding round for Slate Auto was a $650 million Series C earlier this year. In that round, Bezos was not named as a participating investor.

Slate Auto has several Amazon alumni in key roles, including its new CEO Peter Faricy, who previously served as the vice president of Amazon Marketplace.

Slate Auto Nears Production

While attention may turn to Bezos and whether he’s involved with Slate Auto or even still an investor in the company, the startup is likely focused on its upcoming production.

The company is on track to begin production of the truck by the end of the year at its Indiana factory, according to a report from InsideEVs.

Earlier this week, the company announced several production milestones.

The Slate Auto pickup truck is expected to have a starting price in the mid-$20,000s, above a previous goal of $20,000 with the Federal EV tax credit. While the vehicle will cost more with added features, the price is still expected to be lower than electric pickup trucks already on market, such as Tesla’s Cybertruck.

Image Via Slate Auto

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