Getty Images Elon Musk 
 
 A statement from Tesla’s board members on Wednesday raises further questions following the shock tweet from Elon Musk that he wants to take the auto maker private.  Several independent directors of Tesla Inc.’s board said Wednesday it has met several times over the past week to discuss Chief Executive Elon Musk’s proposal to take the electric-car maker private in what would be the biggest buyout in history. The talks included how being a private company could “better serve Tesla’s long-term interests, and also addressed the funding for this to occur,”... The brief news release from Tesla board members—Brad Buss, Robyn Denholm, Ira Ehrenpreis, Antonio Gracias, Linda Johnson Rice, and James Murdoch—consisted of three sentences: 
 
 Last week, Elon opened a discussion with the board about taking the company private. Two board members, venture capital investor Steve Jurvetson as well as Musk’s brother, Kimbal Musk, didn’t sign on to the statement.
– Elon Musk wasn't blowing smoke. The BBC reports on a three-sentence statement issued by six of Tesla's nine board members saying the board had "met several times over the last week" to discuss Musk's proposal to take the company private, which he announced via an unexpected tweet Tuesday. The talks "included discussion as to how being private could better serve Tesla's long-term interests" and the statement ends by saying the board "is taking the appropriate next steps to evaluate this." The three board members who did not sign the statement are Musk, brother Kimbal Musk, and a board member who is on leave, reports the Wall Street Journal. At MarketWatch, Steve Goldstein flags some unresolved points: The statement didn't elaborate on Musk's claim of "funding secured" and raised but didn't answer a question of timing. "'Last week' predates Tesla's filing on Monday of its 10-Q with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which didn't mention such discussions. News of a takeover would certainly be considered material," he writes. Shares of Tesla are currently down about 1%.