Elon Musk's Tesla compensation totals $158 billion for 2025
Updated
Updated · Bloomberg · May 1
Elon Musk's Tesla compensation totals $158 billion for 2025
12 articles · Updated · Bloomberg · May 1
Tesla disclosed the figure in a regulatory filing on Thursday, nearly six months after more than 75% of voting shares backed the stock award.
The company said the eye-catching total came with major caveats, even as it marked the first compensation figure since shareholders approved the package.
Earlier filings put the amount at about $158.4 billion, including a $132 billion CEO Performance Award tied to long-term targets such as a $2 trillion market value.
Could Tesla's massive bet on robotics and AI—and Musk's record pay—backfire if ambitious targets aren't met?
How might SpaceX's acquisition of xAI and Tesla's intercompany investments reshape the competitive landscape and governance standards for tech giants?
The $1 Trillion Gamble: Tesla’s Record-Breaking CEO Pay and Its High-Stakes Future
Overview
In November 2025, Tesla shareholders approved an unprecedented $56 billion compensation package for Elon Musk with over 75% support, despite opposition from major institutional investors. This package was a direct response to the 2024 Delaware court invalidation of Musk's 2018 pay plan, which was later reinstated by the Delaware Supreme Court. To reduce legal risks, Tesla relocated its headquarters from Delaware to Texas. The new package sets ambitious milestones, including delivering 20 million vehicles and scaling humanoid robot and robotaxi production, while locking in milestone achievements once sustained. However, Tesla faces challenges like a sales slump, declining profits, and slow adoption of key technologies, raising questions about the feasibility and governance risks of this bold strategy.