J effrey "JB" Straubel is an American engineer and a key figure in the electric vehicle revolution. He is a co-founder and the former longtime Chief Technology Officer of Tesla, Inc. He was one of the first employees of the company and was instrumental in its technological development, overseeing the engineering of the company's battery technology, powertrain, and software. He was a central member of the leadership team, alongside Elon Musk, that built Tesla into the world's most valuable automaker.

After 15 years with the company, he left Tesla in 2019 to found a new and ambitious venture, Redwood Materials. Redwood is a battery recycling company that aims to create a circular supply chain for electric vehicle batteries by recovering, recycling, and remanufacturing the critical materials, such as lithium, cobalt, and nickel, from old batteries. His new company has attracted massive investment and is seen as a strategically vital part of building a sustainable domestic battery supply chain in the United States. His wealth is derived from his large, early stake in Tesla and his founding stake in his new company.