Tesla’s pay package could make Elon Musk a trillionaire, sparking debate on CEO compensation.
You probably have heard that Tesla shareholders have approved a pay package that could make Elon Musk a trillionaire.
And, of course, you have probably seen all the performative outrage from liberals about how this is just another example of America developing a new oligarchy, where the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.
Well, I have to admit that the pay package, should all the requirements be met, would make an astonishingly wealthy man even wealthier.
Imagine waiting to paragraph 5 to explain it. How about headline, Musk to get a $1 trillion if Tesla worth increases by $7 Trillion. Brian Loftus (@briandloftus) November 7, 2025
But only if he makes shareholders even wealthier, too.
Tesla shareholders approved a pay package on Thursday that could make CEO Elon Musk, already the world’s richest person, the world’s first trillionaire.
Tesla announced that more than 75% of shares voted in favor of the pay package during the company’s annual shareholder meeting. The vote didn’t include the 15% of the company that Musk already owns.
The crowd at the meeting broke into cheers and chants when the results were announced. Musk thanked the shareholders and the Tesla board soon after. “I super appreciate it,” he said.
Musk doesn’t take any salary, but the approved pay package comes in the form of a stock grant that would give him as much as 423.7 million additional Tesla shares over the next 10 years.
I actually do believe that the current way that CEOs are compensated at most companies is the product of a broken system. CEOs sit on each other’s boards, vote for outrageous pay packages with golden parachutes, and often get wildly ridiculous compensation whether they perform well or not.
