Why Elon Musk deserves the keys to Tesla's future

It's October 19, 2025, and Tesla's board just dropped a bombshell: a proposed $1 trillion compensation package for Elon Musk, potentially the largest in corporate history.

Structured as stock awards vesting over a decade, it hinges on audacious milestones—like ballooning Tesla's market cap by $8.5 trillion and ramping deliveries to 20 million vehicles annually. Critics howl it's obscene, a rubber-stamp from a Musk-dominated board that could pay out tens of billions even on partial hits. Proxy advisor ISS urges shareholders to nix it, citing conflicts and poor governance. Fair points—$1 trillion dwarfs the GDP of small nations and reeks of cronyism, especially after Delaware courts voided his 2018 $56 billion deal for similar reasons.

Yet, peel back the hyperbole, and this isn't greed—it's genius aligned with value creation. Musk has toiled salary-free since 2018, forgoing cash bonuses to bet everything on Tesla's moonshot. Under his watch, the company morphed from 2008's near-bankruptcy to a $1.4 trillion behemoth, revolutionizing EVs and delivering 1,000% shareholder returns since the original package. That's not luck; it's relentless execution—pushing Gigafactories, Full Self-Driving, and Optimus robots that could unlock trillions in AI-driven revenue.

The structure screams meritocracy: zero payout without smashing targets like EBITDA surges and robotaxi fleets. It's pay-for-performance on steroids, ensuring Musk's skin stays in the game. Without it, he warns of diverting focus to xAI or SpaceX, robbing Tesla of its visionary edge. Shareholders win big: if milestones hit, Tesla could eclipse Apple as the world's most valuable firm, dwarfing the package's cost.

Sure, risks loom—board independence is questionable, and easy wins could bloat his haul amid slumping deliveries. But precedents like Bezos' Amazon windfalls show founders deserve outsized rewards for paradigm shifts. Musk's not just a CEO; he's Tesla's soul, inspiring teams through factory-floor marathons.

This package isn't a handout—it's rocket fuel for humanity's electric, autonomous tomorrow. Deny it, and watch rivals like BYD lap Tesla while Musk builds elsewhere. Elon deserves it, not for ego, but because no one else could pull it off.

PROMPT: Analyze whether or not Elon Musk deserves a $1 trillion compensation package. summarize in a 500-word editorial