Below is an excerpt from an article that recently appeared in The Wall Street Journal titled, Money and Drugs Entwine Musk With Tesla Directors $($Monday$,$ Feb. $5$th$)$ "These Tesla and SpaceX board members, although they are designated independent directors, have invested millions in Musk companies, including their own money and money they control. $-$James Murdoch The current Tesla director has vacationed with Musk and their families in Israel and Mexico. Investment in Musk Cos. $$73$ million $-$Ira Ehrenpreis The current Tesla director has been a Musk friend for years and heads the compensation committee at Tesla. Investment in Musk Cos. $$69$ million $-$Larry Ellison$*$ The former Tesla director invited Musk to Hawaii to dry out from drugs, according to people familiar with the offer, and said he was $$very close friends$$ with Musk. Investment in Musk Cos. $$17\mathrm{.}2$ billion $-$Steve Jurvetson Musk went to bat for the former Tesla and current SpaceX director, one of his oldest friends, after a $2017$ drugs$-$and$-$sex scandal. Investment in Musk Cos. $$??-$Antonio Gracias The former Tesla director and current SpaceX director has been a close Musk friend for decades and also has used illegal drugs with him, according to people familiar with the use. Investments in Musk Cos. $$1\mathrm{.}44$ billion" $1.$ What are the characteristics of an independent Board of Directors and why is it important? $2.$ Musk fan or not, based on the relationship of Musk to these directors, what is your general assessment of his firm's boards? Does the amount of investment these board members or their organizations have made in Musk's companies make any difference in your assessment?