Elon Musk Could Become the World’s First Trillionaire in the Next Decade. Here’s How

Connor Greene

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Elon Musk could stand to become the world’s first trillionaire under a new pay plan Tesla released on Friday, if he manages to meet lofty corporate goals.

Musk’s compensation under the plan would come in the form of Tesla shares. In order to achieve that unprecedented thirteen-digit net worth, the Tesla CEO would need to massively increase the company’s market value over the next decade, according to the proxy statement released by Tesla. He would also have to stay at the company for ten more years in order to earn the full amount laid out in the package.

“Retaining and incentivizing Elon is fundamental to Tesla achieving these goals and becoming the most valuable company in history,” stated a letter from Robyn Denholm and Kathleen Wilson-Thompson, members of the Tesla board, to shareholders.

The proposal must still be approved by shareholders. A vote is likely to be held at an annual shareholders meeting on Nov. 6.

The plan could face some pushback. In the past, Tesla shareholders have been reported as being critical of Musk’s political involvement and what they saw as the billionaire straying from his responsibilities as CEO. In 2018, the company’s shareholders approved a similar compensation package for Musk, although one shareholder objected to the package and filed a lawsuit against the company.

Legal challenges to the newly proposed package are also possible. In 2024, a Delaware judge shut down for the second time the 2018 compensation package for Musk, which could have seen the Tesla CEO receive more than $50 billion. Like the proposal released on Friday, the 2018 package was a 10-year performance-based incentive for Musk.

And raising the company’s market value is easier said than done. Over the last year, as Musk faced controversy over his ties to Trump and brief tenure overseeing the Department of Government Efficiency in the President’s second Administration, Tesla’s sales have decreased. The company’s stock value has also seen dips in recent months, affecting the overall value of Musk’s shares.