Michael Verfürden

Since 2020, Michael Verfürden has been an editor in the Investigative Research department at Handelsblatt.

He has exposed cases of abuse of power in the financial sector, reported on dubious real estate deals, and investigated hackers targeting German companies. His revelations about the Wirecard scandal attracted particular attention.

After studying German and Political Science in Düsseldorf, Verfürden completed his training at the Georg von Holtzbrinck School for Business Journalists, where he now teaches courses on Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) and investigative research methods.

At the end of 2022, he and his team gained access to 100 gigabytes of internal Tesla data, leaked by a whistleblower from Norway. Together with his colleague Sönke Iwersen, he compiled the findings of this investigation into a book. Die Tesla-Files. Enthüllungen aus dem Reich von Elon Musk was published in March 2025 by Munich-based publisher C. H. Beck.

Michael Verfürden Lecture Topics

  • The Tesla Files: Revelations from Elon Musk’s empire

What is it like to take on the most powerful man in the world? In his presentation, Verfürden paints a picture of a corporation out of control and a CEO without scruples. He demonstrates how Musk rallies his employees like a cult and keeps his customers at bay with empty promises. Tesla, he argues, has created an opaque system designed to protect Musk and his vision of autonomous driving.

In his talk, Verfürden recounts the challenges of analyzing the Tesla Files. He shares insights from the customers, employees, and relatives of fatal accident victims he interviewed for his research. He explains how he and his colleagues managed to crack the Tesla black box. Verfürden reveals what really goes on behind Tesla’s factory walls – and what it all tells us about Elon Musk’s rise to power.

Verfürden’s lecture offers a glimpse of what the world can expect from Musk as the first global oligarch. He discusses how Musk, as the shadow president of the United States, reshapes the economy, politics, and technology according to his own rules – while disregarding people, laws, and institutions. And why he won’t stop at the borders of the U.S.

Further lecture topics:

Investigative Journalism

  • How are major scandals uncovered? What investigative techniques are employed? How is the handling of sources managed?
  • How do you navigate large datasets? What methods are used to verify the information they contain? What are the potential pitfalls?
  • Facial recognition, geo-location, breach data: What opportunities does Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) present?

Practical Examples

  • The Wirecard Scandal: Pursuing Jan Marsalek, the world’s most elusive fraudster
  • The Invisible War: How global hacker syndicates are threatening Germany
  • Toxic corporate culture: power and abuse in business

Interested in working with Michael Verfürden?

If you are interested in exciting and inspiring experts for your events and conferences, please contact us. Our Leading Minds team is available to contact you at any time.

More experts