Tesla shareholders have given their official blessing to what could become the most substantial corporate pay package in history, potentially worth $1 trillion (£761 billion) to CEO Elon Musk. The controversial plan, approved on Thursday 6 November 2025, sets a series of extraordinarily ambitious targets for the electric vehicle giant over the coming decade.
The Path to Becoming a Trillionaire
For the world's richest man to realise this staggering payday, Tesla must achieve a set of demanding milestones. Central to the agreement is the production of 20 million Tesla vehicles within ten years. This figure more than doubles the total number of cars the company has manufactured in its entire 12-year history to date.
Musk will also be tasked with dramatically increasing the company's overall valuation and its operating profits. In a particularly bold move, the package requires Tesla to roll out one million AI-powered robots, a significant challenge given that the company has not yet released a single model to the public.
As each target is successfully met, Musk will receive additional company shares, potentially increasing his ownership stake from 13% to nearly 29%. Even if he falls short on some objectives, the 54-year-old executive stands to earn a colossal sum. According to Forbes magazine, Musk's current net worth is estimated at $493 billion (£375 billion). While this already makes him the wealthiest person alive, he has not yet surpassed the historical record held by railroad magnate John D. Rockefeller, whose wealth would be valued at $630 billion (£480 billion) in today's money.
Why Tesla is Betting Big on Musk
Tesla's board of directors and many of its investors firmly believe that Musk's continued leadership is critical to the company's future. The firm is at a pivotal juncture, seeking to innovate and expand beyond electric vehicles into robotics, self-driving technology, and artificial intelligence.
Financial services firm Wedbush echoed this sentiment, stating that granting more shares is "critical to keep Musk at the helm to lead Tesla through the most critical time in the company's history". The analysts added that "the biggest asset for Tesla is Musk" and that with the AI revolution accelerating, this is a crucial period for the company's ambitions in autonomous technology and robotics.
Not Everyone is On Board
The monumental pay package has not been without its detractors. Major investor advice firm Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) raised concerns, warning that the decade-long agreement could hamper the board's ability to adjust pay levels in response to unforeseen events or strategic shifts.
In a critical note, ISS suggested that the "high value of each tranche could also potentially undermine Musk's desire to achieve all goals" and described the targets as "lacking precision". Musk himself has publicly criticised ISS and another major adviser, Glass Lewis, labelling them as "corporate terrorists".
There had been significant speculation that Musk might have walked away from the business had shareholders not approved the new compensation plan. With the deal now sealed, the focus shifts to whether Tesla and its visionary leader can deliver on these unprecedented ambitions and potentially make history by creating the world's first trillionaire.
