Stardust Power Inc. Appoints V. Ray Rivers to Board and Key Committees

What Happened

• Stardust Power Inc. announced on August 10, 2026 that its Board appointed V. Ray Rivers (age 64) as a director, effective that same date, to serve until the 2027 Annual Meeting of Stockholders or until his successor is elected.
• Mr. Rivers was also named to the Board’s Audit Committee and Compensation Committee and has been designated an independent director under Nasdaq listing standards. He brings over three decades of capital markets and financial services experience, including senior roles at Bear Stearns, CRT Capital Group, Cantor Fitzgerald, Gabelli & Company, and Imperial Capital, and currently serves as Co-Chair of the Greenwich Economic Forum.

Key Details

• Appointment date: August 10, 2026; term through the 2027 Annual Meeting (or successor).
• Committee assignments: Audit Committee and Compensation Committee.
• Cash compensation (pro-rated for partial year): $25,000 annual director retainer; $7,500 Audit Committee retainer; $5,000 Compensation Committee retainer.
• Equity and other terms: Company expects to grant stock to Mr. Rivers equal to approximately $100,000 under the Amended and Restated 2024 Equity Incentives Plan and will enter into the Company’s standard indemnification agreement.
• Governance notes: Board determined Mr. Rivers is independent; no family ties or reportable related-party transactions disclosed.

Why It Matters

• For investors, this adds an independent director with deep capital-markets and corporate finance experience, strengthening oversight—particularly on audit and compensation matters.
• The expected ~$100,000 equity grant and standard cash retainers are part of non-employee director compensation and may result in future share issuance under the company’s equity plan.
• The filing signals a governance update (committee composition and independence) without any disclosed related-party concerns, which can be relevant to assessments of board oversight and corporate governance.