Tesla Shareholders Approve Elon Musk's Trillion-Dollar Pay Package
Tesla shareholders have given strong approval to an extraordinary compensation plan for CEO Elon Musk, granting him potential access to around one trillion dollars' worth of company stock. The measure passed with 75% support, based on preliminary results revealed during Tesla’s annual shareholder meeting on November 6, 2025.
Conditions of the Compensation
The package is entirely performance-based. Musk receives no salary but can unlock stock valued up to one trillion dollars if Tesla achieves specific performance milestones over the next decade.
- He must increase Tesla’s market capitalization from roughly $1.5 trillion to over $8.5 trillion.
- Other operational and strategic goals tied to productivity and innovation also form part of the plan.
Context and Comparisons
For context, Nvidia, currently the world’s most valuable company at $4.83 trillion, compensates its CEO with $50 million annually. The executive holds a 3.5% ownership stake, demonstrating how Musk’s deal dwarfs conventional corporate pay structures.
Musk’s Wealth and Legacy
Musk’s personal fortune stands near $460 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. This vast wealth largely reflects Tesla’s surging stock price, now about $465 per share—over 400 times its value at Tesla’s 2010 IPO.
Previous Compensation and Legal Disputes
A prior compensation plan worth $55.8 billion remains under legal scrutiny after a court found that Tesla’s board might have shown excessive leniency toward Musk when crafting the agreement.
“The package is conditional: Musk would earn no salary, but would unlock Tesla stock worth about a trillion dollars if the company meets certain criteria within the next decade.”
Author’s Summary: Tesla shareholders backed an unprecedented trillion-dollar pay deal for Elon Musk, aiming to drive Tesla’s value above $8.5 trillion within ten years.