Jeff Bezos representative exits Slate Auto board

The head of Jeff Bezos' family office has stepped down from the board of directors at Slate Auto, the electric vehicle startup backed by the Amazon founder, according to several state filings reviewed by reporters.

Melinda Lewison, who oversees investments at Bezos Expeditions, appears to have left the board sometime within the past few months, based on filings submitted to the secretaries of state in Delaware, Florida, and Massachusetts. Her departure means Bezos no longer has direct representation on Slate Auto's board as the startup moves closer to production of its low-cost electric truck later this year.

Slate Auto did not respond to multiple requests for comment regarding the board change. Lewison and Bezos also did not respond to emailed requests seeking clarification.

Lewison's exit has raised fresh questions about Bezos' level of involvement and long-term support for the EV startup, especially as reports indicate that the billionaire entrepreneur is increasingly focused on robotics and artificial intelligence through his newer venture, Project Prometheus. That company reportedly raised more than $6 billion late last year and is said to be seeking an additional $100 billion fund to acquire industrial businesses and automate them with AI technology.

Bezos' exact role in Slate Auto has never been fully clear. The company has not publicly disclosed how much funding Bezos personally contributed during its first financing round in 2023, which totalled approximately $120 million. Slate Auto also has not confirmed whether Bezos participated in its Series B funding round, which reportedly pushed the company's total funding to around $700 million.

Last month, Slate Auto announced a new $650 million Series C funding round. The company publicly identified only one lead investor: TWG Global, the investment firm led by Guggenheim Partners CEO Mark Walter. Existing investor Slauson & Co, a Los Angeles-based venture capital firm, also confirmed its participation in the round.

A company executive previously suggested that Bezos maintained only limited involvement with the startup.

"We've had an interface where we invited him in, and he came and joined us once along the journey, and looked at the vehicle, and we talked a little bit about what the future might be," she said late last year. "But other than that, he's very hands-off and really letting us focus on getting the vehicle to market."

Despite Bezos' reportedly limited day-to-day involvement, Slate Auto maintains strong ties to Amazon through its leadership team. Former Amazon Consumer CEO Jeff Wilke co-founded the startup, while current CEO Peter Faricy previously served as a vice president at Amazon Marketplace. Former Amazon executives and employees also lead several of the company's divisions.