Elon Musk, the chief executive officer (CEO) of electric vehicle maker Tesla (TSLA), has commented publicly on his proposed $1 trillion U.S. pay package.
Tesla’s board of directors outlined the record compensation plan earlier in September, saying they want to “motivate” Musk and keep him focused on the company.
The size of the pay packages has drawn a fair amount of attention and criticism, including from some Tesla shareholders.
Now, Musk himself has spoken out about his pay, explaining his views on social media.
“It’s not about ‘compensation,’ but about me having enough influence over Tesla to ensure safety if we build millions of robots,” he said in a post. “If I can just get kicked out in the future by activist shareholder advisory firms who don’t even own Tesla shares themselves, I’m not comfortable with that future.”
The proposed pay would grant Musk about 425 million shares of Tesla, equivalent to 12% of the company.
However, Tesla would need to achieve an $8.5 trillion U.S. market capitalization and its stock would need to rise to $2,700 U.S. per share for Musk to receive the equivalent of $1 trillion U.S.
Currently, Tesla has a market capitalization of $1.33 trillion U.S. and its stock is trading at $425.85 U.S. per share. The stock has gained 12% so far in 2025.
