Why Tesla wants to give Elon Musk a $55 billion pay package
Business InsiderApr 17
Tesla Pushes Shareholders for $56B Musk Pay Deal
The Facts
Tesla requested its shareholders to accept awarding CEO Elon Musk with the largest compensation package in American corporate history, estimated to be worth $56B. In January, a US judge rejected the offer, calling it "an unfathomable sum."
Musk's pay package comes only days after he revealed his intentions to reduce more than 10% of Tesla's global workforce. In a memo to his staff, Musk expressed his regret over the layoffs.
The Spin
Narrative A
Nobody works for nothing, so why should Elon Musk? Tesla has not paid Musk since 2018. That's six years without compensation as the electric car firm has broken record after record and is now the world's most valuable corporation. It is only reasonable that the innovative chief executive gets compensated in proportion to the company's performance.
Narrative B
They say that timing is everything. In this aspect, the struggling carmaker failed miserably when it asked shareholders for a record payout to Musk. The suggestion comes just days after Musk announced Tesla will cut 10% of its global workforce, and Tesla stock has fallen 37% this year. Awarding Musk this much money is not sound — it's excessive even for Musk.
Nerd narrative
There is a 50% chance Elon Musk will be the richest person in the world on December 31, 2025, according to the Metaculus prediction community.