Seyit Kurt
23 October 2025•Update: 23 October 2025
ISTANBUL
Tesla CEO Elon Musk said he needs a $1 trillion compensation package to maintain his influence over the company’s artificial intelligence and robotics division, including the humanoid robot project known as "Optimus."
Speaking during, Musk said in the company’s third-quarter earnings call Wednesday that the issue was not about money but how much control he could retain as Tesla develops what he called a “robot army.”
“It’s just, if we build this robot army, do I have at least a strong influence over that robot army? Not current control but a strong influence,” said Musk. “That's what it comes down to in a nutshell. I don't feel comfortable wielding that robot army if I don't have at least a strong influence.”
The $1 trillion stems from an executive compensation plan proposed by Tesla’s board in September.
According to the plan, Musk, who is now the richest person in the world, would receive 12 tranches of shares if Tesla meets specific performance benchmarks over the next 10 years.
Musk would obtain more than 423 million additional shares as part of the full package. He currently owns about 13% of the company.
The proposed pay plan has faced criticism from unions and corporate governance groups, sparking the protest campaign: “Take Back Tesla.”
Musk said during the earnings call that robots would fundamentally transform human life, noting that Tesla’s robots would “actually create a world where there is no poverty, where everyone has access to the finest medical care,” and described the Optimus project as “an infinite money glitch” for Tesla.
