Musk Receives No Tesla Pay for 2025 After Missing Performance Targets and Court Ruling

Tesla has long tied Chief Executive Elon Musk’s compensation to market-value and operating targets through an all-stock option package. The 2018 compensation plan was reviewed by a Delaware court following a shareholder lawsuit, fueling disputes over corporate governance and equity dilution. The awards vest only if performance targets are met, and their reported value does not equal the amount actually received.

Tesla’s latest report showed that Musk’s reported compensation for 2025 totaled $158.3 billion, but he received nothing because the performance conditions were not met. After the Delaware court reinstated the 2018 compensation plan, related interim stock awards were forfeited. SpaceX is also reportedly planning a new incentive package tied to progress on colonizing Mars.