Tesla’s latest proposed pay package for Elon Musk signals a dramatic pivot in the company’s long-term vision, tying his potential trillion-dollar reward to success far beyond electric cars. The deal requires not only staggering financial growth but also the delivery of futuristic products like a fleet of one million robotaxis and one million humanoid robots.
The financial centerpiece of the plan is the goal to grow Tesla’s valuation to $8.5 trillion over ten years. This would make Tesla more than twice as valuable as today’s most valuable public company. For orchestrating this growth, Musk’s stake would increase significantly, potentially making him the world’s first trillionaire and pushing his total net worth over $2 trillion.
This focus on AI and robotics represents a formal acknowledgment of Musk’s long-stated ambitions for the company. While some critics have dismissed his humanoid bot and self-driving taxi projects as distractions, the board is now codifying them as core performance metrics. This move firmly positions Tesla as an AI and robotics company that also happens to build cars.
The proposal is not without controversy, especially as it follows a voided $55.8 billion deal from 2018. The company is facing shareholders with a much larger package at a time when Musk’s public persona has been linked to sales slumps in key markets. However, by including tangible, world-changing product milestones, Tesla is arguing that Musk is not just a CEO, but an inventor whose vision is worth a historic investment.