Tesla's board has put forth a compensation package that could elevate CEO Elon Musk's wealth to an astonishing $1 trillion if the company meets specific and demanding benchmarks over the next ten years, according to a securities filing released on Friday. This ambitious proposal could potentially reward Musk with approximately $900 billion throughout the duration of the agreement, positioning him as the most generously compensated CEO in history.
The proposed compensation is contingent upon Musk successfully increasing Tesla's current market value of around $1.1 trillion to an extraordinary $8.5 trillion—a valuation that surpasses the combined market capitalizations of major tech giants like Meta, Microsoft, and Alphabet, the parent company of Google. The filing outlines a robust set of production goals, which include deploying one million Robotaxis for commercial use and delivering one million humanoid robots within the next decade.
Before the compensation package can be implemented, it requires the approval of Tesla's shareholders. Musk, recognized as the world's richest person, currently has an estimated net worth of around $430 billion according to Forbes. Should he receive the entirety of the proposed pay package, Musk would make history as the first trillionaire.
The detailed structure of the compensation package, including various tranches and company benchmarks, aims to guarantee Musk's long-term commitment to Tesla while aligning his performance with the firm's financial success. Board members Robyn Denholm and Kathleen Wilson-Thompson emphasized in their letter to shareholders that there is currently no long-term CEO performance award in place to retain Musk's focus and leadership during this critical period in Tesla's evolution. “It’s time to change that,” they asserted.
Seth Goldstein, an analyst at Morningstar, confirmed an estimate from ABC News regarding the potential value of the compensation proposal. He remarked that this payment plan would incentivize Musk to concentrate on Tesla, rewarding him for enhancing the company’s market cap and delivering substantial returns to shareholders. This approach mitigates a significant near-term risk for Tesla's stock should Musk decide to leave the company.
The new compensation package would also bolster Musk's ownership stake in Tesla, granting him increased control over the firm. Musk has been pursuing a larger ownership position for some time. The announcement of this new compensation plan comes as Musk's previous payment agreement remains entangled in legal disputes. A Delaware judge had previously invalidated a $50 billion pay package proposed in 2018, citing issues related to board member independence and Musk's influence in the negotiations.
In recent months, Tesla has faced challenges, including a 16% drop in profits over a three-month period ending in June, coinciding with Musk's tenure as a special government employee in the Trump administration and subsequent public disagreements with President Donald Trump. This decline marked the second consecutive quarterly revenue drop for the company. Following these results, Musk humorously addressed concerns regarding his control of the company during an earnings call, stating, "I think my control of Tesla should be enough to ensure that it goes in a good direction, but not so much control that I can't be thrown out if I go crazy."
