Jeff Bezos’s representative just left the board of a startup that raised $1.4 billion on his name. The first truck has not been built.

Jeff Bezos’s Family Office Representative Leaves Slate Auto Board

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Jeff Bezos’s family office representative Melinda Lewison has left Slate Auto’s board months before the $1.4 billion EV startup is scheduled to begin production of its affordable electric truck in Warsaw, Indiana. The first truck has not been built.

May 7, 2026 – 8:31 pm

TL;DR

The person who connected Jeff Bezos to one of the most ambitious electric vehicle startups in America has left its board. Lewison, who manages the Bezos family office and was listed as a director on Slate Auto’s corporate filings, has departed the company’s board months before production is set to begin.

This departure follows a pattern of leadership changes at the startup that has raised $1.4 billion on the strength of an idea, a factory, and a name—Bezos’s name.

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Slate Auto was incubated inside Re:Build Manufacturing, a conglomerate founded by Jeff Wilke, who served as Amazon’s worldwide consumer division CEO before retiring in 2021. Bezos’s connection to Slate was indirect but unmistakable: Lewison’s board seat gave Slate the implicit endorsement of the world’s second-richest person.

Recent Changes:

The board departure follows a CEO change in March, with Chris Barman replaced by Peter Faricy, a former Amazon Marketplace VP. Barman moved to President of Vehicles.