US Federal prosecutors are reportedly conducting an investigation to determine if Tesla was using company funds on a secret project described internally as a house for Chief Executive Elon Musk, according to a report by Reuters on Wednesday, citing a Wall Street Journal article. This investigation comes after a previous report by the WSJ in July, which revealed that Tesla board members had already looked into the potential misuse of company resources on this project. No specific dollar figures were disclosed in either report, but it was stated that the house in question is located near Austin, Texas.

Although the SEC declined to comment on the existence or nonexistence of a possible investigation, the agency has reportedly opened a civil probe as well, according to the WSJ. It should be noted that these investigations are still in their early stages and may not result in any charges. The focus of the investigation appears to be primarily on Elon Musk, who is currently the world's richest man.

Prosecutors are seeking information regarding any personal benefits Musk may have received from the project, as well as the exact amount of money Tesla spent on it and its purpose, according to the WSJ report. Additionally, the newspaper reported that prosecutors are also looking into concerns about a lower-than-expected driving range on Tesla's electric vehicles.

This news follows a previous report in July, which highlighted that Tesla cars often fail to achieve their advertised range estimates and projections reported by the cars' own equipment, according to experts who tested or studied them. Overall, the investigations into Tesla's alleged misuse of company funds for a secret project and the concerns about the driving range of its electric vehicles are ongoing. It remains to be seen what the outcome of these investigations will be and if any charges will be filed.