{"id":105918,"date":"2025-02-24T15:11:41","date_gmt":"2025-02-24T14:11:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/premium-speakers.com\/?post_type=speaker&p=105918"},"modified":"2025-07-16T07:53:38","modified_gmt":"2025-07-16T05:53:38","slug":"michael-verfurden","status":"publish","type":"speaker","link":"https:\/\/premium-speakers.com\/en\/speaker-presenter\/michael-verfurden\/","title":{"rendered":"Michael Verf\u00fcrden"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Michael Verf\u00fcrden has been an editor in the Investigative Research department at Handelsblatt since 2020. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

He has reported on abuse of power in the financial sector, questionable real estate deals, and hackers targeting German companies. Michael Verf\u00fcrden gained particular attention with his revelations about the scandal-ridden company Wirecard. He studied Germanistik and political science in D\u00fcsseldorf before completing the Georg von Holtzbrinck School for Business Journalists, where he now teaches courses on Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) and investigative research methods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the end of 2022, Verf\u00fcrden and his team gained access to 100 gigabytes of internal Tesla data, leaked by a whistleblower from Norway. Together with his colleague S\u00f6nke Iwersen<\/strong><\/a>, Michael Verf\u00fcrden wrote a book about his research on the electric carmaker. “The Tesla Files: Revelations from the Realm of Elon Musk”<\/a><\/strong> was published in March 2025 by the Munich-based publisher C. H. Beck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Michael Verf\u00fcrden Lecture Topics<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
    \n
  • The Tesla Files: Revelations from Elon Musk\u2019s empire<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    What is it like to take on the most powerful man in the world? In his presentation, Verf\u00fcrden 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In his talk, Verf\u00fcrden 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. Verf\u00fcrden reveals what really goes on behind Tesla’s factory walls – and what it all tells us about Elon Musk’s rise to power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Verf\u00fcrden’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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Further lecture topics:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Investigative Journalism<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

      Practical Examples<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n
      • The Wirecard Scandal:<\/strong> Pursuing Jan Marsalek, the world\u2019s most elusive fraudster<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • The Invisible War: <\/strong>How global hacker syndicates are threatening Germany<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Toxic corporate culture:<\/strong> power and abuse in business<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

        Who is Michael Verf\u00fcrden?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Michael Verf\u00fcrden is a German journalist and editor in the investigative research department at Handelsblatt<\/em>. He graduated from the Georg von Holtzbrinck School of Journalism and previously worked as a freelance journalist. His work focuses on investigative research into economic and financial issues, uncovering tax avoidance strategies, corporate scandals, and political influence. He has been involved in several international investigative stories and is regarded as an expert for in-depth analyses of complex economic relationships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        Michael Verf\u00fcrden has been an editor in the Investigative Research department at Handelsblatt since 2020. He has reported on abuse […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":105903,"menu_order":0,"template":"","tags":[17028,17027],"speaker-category":[16607,16590],"speaker-topic":[16637,16615,16624],"speaker-type":[16667,16665],"speaker-gender":[16670],"speaker-language":[16571],"class_list":["post-105918","speaker","type-speaker","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-economic-crimes","tag-investigative-journalism","speaker-category-economy-politics","speaker-category-finance","speaker-topic-crisis-management","speaker-topic-cyber-crime-cyber-security","speaker-topic-society","speaker-type-interview-guest","speaker-type-keynote-speaker","speaker-gender-men","speaker-language-german"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nBook Michael Verf\u00fcrden for a keynote or talk - Premium Speakers<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Michael Verf\u00fcrden is an investigative journalist, author and expert on economic crime. 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