KATHMANDU: Tesla’s shareholders have approved a new pay plan for CEO Elon Musk, which could be worth nearly $1 trillion if the company meets some very big goals in the next 10 years.
The decision was made at Tesla’s annual meeting on November 6, 2025, where more than 75% of shareholders voted in favor.
This isn’t a normal salary. Musk won’t get any cash or monthly pay. Instead, he will receive Tesla shares only if the company grows to certain targets. The plan includes 12 stages, starting when Tesla’s market value reaches $2 trillion and continuing up to $8.5 trillion by 2035.
At each stage, Musk gets a portion of the shares. If he misses the target, he gets nothing for that stage.
Right now, Musk owns about 13% of Tesla, already worth hundreds of billions of dollars. If all targets are met, his ownership could rise to around 25–29%.
Tesla’s board says the plan is meant to motivate Musk to grow the company, not just in electric cars but also in self-driving vehicles, robotaxis, and artificial intelligence.
The plan also includes business goals such as selling 20 million cars a year, launching 1 million robotaxis, reaching 10 million paid users for its self-driving software, and earning up to $400 billion in yearly profit.
If everything goes as planned, Musk could become the world’s first trillionaire.
However, some big investors have raised concerns, saying the deal is too large and could reduce the value of other shareholders’ shares.
Even so, most investors supported the plan, seeing it as a high-risk but high-reward decision. They believe that if Musk achieves his goals, both Tesla and its shareholders could benefit greatly, turning Tesla into much more than just a car company.
