Tesla shareholders approve record Elon Musk payout tied to EVs, robotaxis and AI

Elon Musk has secured shareholder approval for the largest payout in history—up to $1 trillion in stock. More than 75% of investors backed the plan at the annual meeting in Austin, where Musk walked onstage to applause, accompanied by dancing robots.

The bonus is tied directly to audacious targets: building 20 million electric cars, deploying one million robotaxis, creating one million humanoid robots, and lifting Tesla’s market capitalization to $8.5 trillion. Even if only part of those milestones is achieved, Musk could be awarded tens of billions of dollars. As a package, it reads less like a paycheck and more like a scoreboard for the next decade.

Even amid protests from some investors, including Norway’s sovereign wealth fund, most shareholders concluded the plan would drive Musk toward long-term goals. The board had warned that without approval he might leave the company. That note framed the stakes of the vote.

Beyond the bonus, shareholders backed Tesla’s investment in Musk’s startup xAI, re-elected three directors, and approved holding board elections every year. Musk said a new chapter in Tesla’s story lies ahead and promised the launch of the Cybercab robotaxi, a new Roadster sports car, and the construction of a factory to produce AI chips. The slate is ambitious, even by Tesla standards.

In effect, Tesla has cemented Musk’s role as the chief architect of its future—a high-stakes wager that ties the company’s trajectory even more tightly to his vision.