--- title: "Tesla Working on Strange, Transparent Structure" description: "Elon Musk may be building a massive glass house for himself nearby Tesla's Texas Gigafactory — and he might be using Tesla funds to do it." date: "2023-07-12" modified: "2023-07-12" authors: - name: "Maggie Harrison Dupré" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/mharrison" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/tesla-strange-transparent-structure" categories: - "Advanced Transport" - "Tesla" tags: - "billionaires" - "elon musk" - "tesla" - "the digest" --- # Tesla Working on Strange, Transparent Structure ![Elon Musk may be building a massive glass house for himself nearby Tesla's Texas Gigafactory — and he might be using Tesla funds to do it.]() *SHANGHAI, CHINA - JULY 06: Tesla CEO Elon Musk speaks via video during the opening ceremony of 2023 World Artificial Intelligence Conference at Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Center on July 6, 2023 in Shanghai, China. (Photo by VCG/VCG via Getty Images) \Image: Getty Images\* ## Glass Houses Tesla appears to be building a massive glass structure on the outskirts of Austin, Texas, close to the automaker's gigafactory. At first glance, that doesn't seem like the biggest deal. But as [*The Wall Street Journal* reports](), the nature of the structure has drawn regulator scrutiny. Though the effort has been outwardly known as "Project 92," it's reportedly been known internally that the structure is to be a house for Tesla CEO Elon Musk — and regulators are thus asking why, if that's indeed the case, Tesla's been ordering millions of dollars of specialized glass on its own dime. ## The Hex Per the *WSJ*, the project was started last year, and several different concepts for the building have been presented over time. In one drawing, the glass building takes the form of a twisted hexagon; in another, it's simply a large glass box. But according to the report, it seems that the project began to raise eyebrows rather quickly, with sources telling the newspaper that multiple Tesla "lawyers and board members" grew suspicious of the building's cost and intent. Limited liability companies related to Musk were meanwhile reportedly snagging up land, and after that million-dollar glass order, Tesla board members went as far as to investigate "whether company resources had been misused and if Musk, himself, had a role," as sources told the *WSJ.* It's also worth noting that the former Tesla official who actually ordered the glass, Omead Afshar, faced [public scrutiny]() last year amid the investigation, though the whole "maybe building Musk a house" element of it all wasn't yet known at the time. The news also comes a few months after it was reported that Musk is [building a town]() for his employees to live and work in. ## Pay to Play Importantly, the results of the board investigation are unknown, and it's unclear where Project 92 currently stands. That said, though chief executives often receive big perks, the construction of a multimillion-dollar glass house would be pretty extreme. Plus, [as *Engadget* notes](), by Tesla's own [policies](), any expense over $120,000 wherein any major executive has a material interest has to go under board audit. And in any case, at the end of the day: Amazon founder Jeff Bezos paid for his own [mermaid-engraved megayacht](), and Facebook-formerly-Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg uses his own cash for his approximately [one]() [gazillion]() [hobbies](). If you want a giant, hexagon-shaped glass house and you're actually the richest man in the world, you do you. Just maybe don't use company funds — if such is the case — to do it, though. **More on Musk's spenditure (or lack thereof):** [*Broke Boy Elon Musk Struggling to Pay Bills*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've reported extensively on the rise of AI as a cultural and business force shaping the media industry, and more broadly how those dynamics are changing how we all consume and share information and relate to one another. I'm also fascinated by public health policy and ethics, the role of emerging tech in politics and governance — and the powerful people and forces at those intersections — climate change, and the environment. My investigation on Sports Illustrated's use of AI-generated authors with fictional biographies won a 2024 Mirror Award for "Best Story on Media Coverage of Artificial Intelligence in Journalism and the Media" from Syracuse University's SI Newhouse School, I contributed to Niemen Lab's 2025 Predictions for Journalism series, and I've discussed my work for Futurism during appearances on NPR, CNN, the BBC, the CBC, and more. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I played Division I field hockey for the Minutewomen as a midfielder. Since then, I've lived in New Orleans, Louisiana and Manhattan, New York. I spend my free time running, reading, perusing archival fashion, and searching for the world’s best negroni. I also have a debonair tuxedo cat, Westley, who's named after "The Princess Bride." ### Author social links [Bluesky]()