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Robyn Denholm

January

Luke Anear and Daniel Petre have very different views of Elon Musk’s influence on Donald Trump.

Silicon Valley’s lurch to the right catches the eye of local VCs

Some 15,000 kilometres away from Washington DC, where tech is cosying up to Donald Trump, local start-ups are pondering whether to ride the anti-DEI wave.

  • Paul Smith
Romania’s Anca Todoni serves during her first-round match on the first day of the Australian Open. Tennis Australia is hoping to use the grand slam as a testing ground for some of its investments.

Tennis Australia raises almost $50m for sports and entertainment fund

Backers of its AO Ventures vehicle include major investors such as John Wylie and Caledonia’s Mark Nelson, along with Tesla chairwoman Robyn Denholm.

  • Ayesha de Kretser

December 2024

The Year of Brilliant Jerks: Rear Window’s year in review

Trump, Ellison, White, Adgemis, Gupta and that Rinehart portrait. For Rear Window, the end of shame and pretense added up to a ripping year of stories.

  • Myriam Robin and Mark Di Stefano
Robyn Denholm is the Australian who chairs Elon Musk’s Tesla.

Denholm on Musk: He’s entitled to his opinion, I’m entitled to mine

Robyn Denholm rose from obscurity to become the highest-profile Australian in business. But overseeing the world’s richest man as Tesla chair is no easy thing.

  • Paul Smith
Robyn Denholm at the South by Southwest festival in Sydney last year.

Tesla’s Denholm misled investors about ruling on Musk’s pay: judge

The Delaware court, which ruled against the Tesla chief executive’s $155 billion pay packet, says the carmaker’s chairwoman made “false” statements.

  • Paul Smith
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Fiona Wood spearheaded the creation of Avita Medical’s spray-on skin in the 1990s and early 2000s.

Time to reverse the R&D slide

I encourage everyone with an interest in our long-term prosperity to engage with the review of the system so we get the best possible recommendations.

  • Ed Husic
Tesla chair Robyn Denholm will lead the review on behalf of the government.

Tesla’s Robyn Denholm to lead review of R&D settings

The Albanese government has ordered the first review of research and development spending in Australia in almost 20 years.

  • Tom McIlroy

November 2024

Paul Stovell says social media is bad for children, but that government’s laws are creating a nanny state.

‘Nanny state’: Top techies slate rushed social media laws

Australia’s tech sector was stunned at being given only 24 hours to respond to new social media laws, and warns they are ill-defined and risk unintended consequences.

  • Paul Smith
Billionaire Elon Musk donated at least $US132 million ($198 million) to Donald Trump and his allies.

Tesla’s Robyn Denholm up $200m since Trump victory

Tesla’s surge is a vibe, a mood, a bitcoin-adjacent, Joe Rogan-induced mania. But it’s a thing. And if it holds, it’ll make its chairwoman richer.

  • Myriam Robin

October 2024

Tech Council chairwoman Robyn Denholm and her fellow board members have been criticised by members for failing to act against Richard White until he chose to resign.

Angry members brand Tech Council a ‘billionaires lunch club’

The industry association for some of the country’s largest technology firms failed to act on allegations against WiseTech founder Richard White, they say.

  • Tess Bennett and Amelia McGuire
Richard White has stepped down as chief executive of the company he founded.

If the Tech Council had moral backbone, it would have sacked White

Richard White has not fully departed WiseTech, perpetuating the idea that tech companies need ‘brilliant jerks’. The Tech Council should have sacked him.

  • Jessy Wu
WiseTech’s Richard White remains on the board of the Tech Council of Australia.

Richard White a fait accompli at the Tech Council

We had little idea how controversial the decision was, even at the time.

  • Myriam Robin
The presence of accused “LinkedIn lecher” Richard White on the board is awkward.

Tech Council board picked Richard White over Robin Khuda

One must pity the Tech Council of Australia, newly tied to Richard White, who joined its board in late June.

  • Myriam Robin
Richard White can count on Andrew Bragg. But Phil Chronican is out.

NAB no longer hosting Richard White

No man is an island – not even a billionaire. All have some vulnerability to the headlines, even when seemingly determined to ride them out.

  • Myriam Robin

September 2024

Robyn Denholm.

Elon Musk opens the door to Robyn Denholm

The Tesla chairman sold another $25 million shares, while her chief executive Elon Musk acts out as the world’s worst internet troll.

  • Mark Di Stefano
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July 2024

Woolies, Harris Farm, Tesla chair, pile in to back biosecurity start-up

ExoFlare has plans to build a global biosecurity tech firm, modelled on international cybersecurity players, and has big-name backers watching as it helps tackle bird flu.

  • Paul Smith

June 2024

Robyn Denholm has officially been Elon Musk’s boss at Tesla for a few years.

Robyn Denholm, Larry Kestelman buy slice of women’s basketball

The WNBL, currently run by Basketball Australia, has struggled to make money for years. The two businesspeople will buy a controlling stake in the league.

  • Zoe Samios
Tenacious’ partners (l-r) Vela Georgiev, Matthew Pryor and Sarah Nolet are celebrating a rare fundraising victory in a tough market.

Tenacious Ventures lives up to its name with $18m raise in hard market

Members of the Schwartz, Denholm and Murdoch families have committed money to the agricultural technology investor that has overcome hurdle after hurdle.

  • Nick Bonyhady
Elon Musk at Tesla’s annual general meeting.

Tesla shareholders approve Musk’s $72b pay package

The shareholder vote is a major win for the Tesla chief executive as he seeks to reassert control over the company.

  • Jack Ewing and Peter Eavis

May 2024

Tesla chairwoman Robyn Denholm told shareholders they should endorse Elon Musk’s pay award.

Tesla slams Glass Lewis after report on Musk mega pay deal

The electric vehicle maker has hit back at the proxy adviser and is urging investors to back Musk’s mega pay deal.

  • Nick Bonyhady

Original URL: https://www.afr.com/person/robyn-m--denholm-6fm9