The head of Bezos Expeditions, the family office of Jeff Bezos, has stepped down from the board of electric vehicle startup Slate Auto, according to multiple state filings reviewed by TechCrunch.
The filings with state authorities in Delaware, Florida, and Massachusetts indicate that Melinda Lewison is no longer serving on Slate Auto’s board of directors.
The departure leaves Bezos without direct board representation at the company as Slate prepares to begin production of its low-cost electric pickup truck later this year.
Slate Auto did not respond to requests for comment from TechCrunch. Lewison and Bezos also did not respond to emailed requests for comment.
Questions Emerge Around Bezos’ Involvement
Lewison’s departure has raised questions about the level of Bezos’ current involvement with the startup.
The development comes as Bezos reportedly shifts attention toward robotics and automation initiatives connected to his newer venture, Project Prometheus.
According to reports, Project Prometheus raised more than $6 billion late last year and is seeking as much as $100 billion for a new investment fund focused on acquiring industrial companies and automating operations with artificial intelligence systems.
Bezos’ exact role in Slate Auto has remained unclear since the company’s founding.
Slate Auto has never publicly disclosed how much Bezos personally invested in the company’s first funding round in 2023, which totaled approximately $120 million.
The company has also not confirmed whether Bezos participated in its Series B financing round, which increased Slate’s total funding to around $700 million.
Slate Continues Raising Capital
Last month, Slate Auto announced a $650 million Series C funding round.
The company identified TWG Global, the investment firm led by Guggenheim Partners CEO Mark Walter, as the lead investor.
Los Angeles-based venture capital firm Slauson & Co. also confirmed its participation in the financing round.
Former Slate CEO Chris Barman previously described Bezos as minimally involved in the startup’s operations.
Speaking at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, Barman said Bezos had visited the company and discussed the vehicle program, but otherwise remained largely uninvolved in day-to-day activities.
“He’s very hands off and really letting us focus on getting the vehicle to market,” Barman said at the event.
Amazon Alumni Remain Central To Company
Although Bezos may not hold an active operational role, Slate Auto continues to maintain strong connections to former Amazon executives.
The startup was co-founded by former Amazon Consumer CEO Jeff Wilke.
Slate’s current CEO, Peter Faricy, previously served as vice president of Amazon Marketplace.
Several leadership roles across the company are also held by former Amazon employees.
Featured image credits: Flickr
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