SAEDNEWS: Tesla’s board has proposed an unprecedented pay package that could issue 423.7 million performance-based shares to CEO Elon Musk — a grant that, if fully earned and if Tesla’s market value hits the plan’s sky-high targets, would make Musk the world’s first trillionaire. The package ties huge wealth to equally huge operational milestones.
The board’s proposal would award Musk up to 423.7 million restricted shares — roughly 12% of Tesla — across 12 tranches, each tied to escalating market-cap and operational goals. At today’s prices that tranche pool is worth roughly $140-$150 billion, but the package could be worth about $1 trillion if every milestone is hit and Tesla’s market capitalization climbs to about $8.5 trillion over the coming years. Shareholders are expected to vote on the plan in November.
The market-value hurdle is only the tallest of many tests. The program requires Tesla to climb from roughly a $1.1 trillion valuation today to an $8.5 trillion valuation, measured by sustained 30-day and six-month averages for each tranche. That would make Tesla far and away the world’s most valuable company — a leap analysts call aggressive and unlikely without dramatic business expansion.
Beyond market value, the package ties awards to specific operational achievements: delivering millions more vehicles annually, securing tens of millions of Full Self-Driving subscriptions, deploying robotaxis at scale, and producing humanoid robots (Optimus) — targets that would remake Tesla into a far broader AI and robotics company than today. Simply reaching the market cap without meeting these operational metrics does not unlock the full award.
The proposal has ignited debate about corporate governance. Critics warn the plan would dramatically increase Musk’s voting power and concentrate control, while supporters argue Tesla needs Musk’s vision to execute ambitious, long-term bets. The board says the package is designed to retain Musk and align pay with outcomes, but opponents say the thresholds risk rewarding speculation over performance.
Investors will now weigh whether the math and milestones are realistic. Tesla shareholders will vote at a meeting in November; until then the plan remains a proposal. If approved and fully achieved, Musk’s net worth — already among the world’s highest — would jump into unprecedented territory, reshaping billionaires’ rankings and prompting fresh scrutiny of pay practices in corporate America.
