Tesla, the San Carlos , Calif.-based electric-car startup, has ended a pointless legal battle between its current and former CEOs.

At issue: Whether Martin Eberhard, the company's first CEO, or Elon Musk , its current one, got to call himself "founder." Eberhard filed suit against Musk three months ago, alleging libel and slander because Musk, an early investor in Tesla, had started calling himself the company's founder.

It seemed like a silly thing to fight about, given that the company, which makes a $109,000 sports car and has promised to start developing a $60,000 sedan once it finishes a design, locates a factory, and secures parts, nearly ran out of money last fall and now appears to subsist on cash infusions from investors like Daimler and U.S. government-backed loans. (Te

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