TLDR
- Elon Musk requested shareholder approval for a $1 trillion pay package during Tesla’s Q3 earnings call on October 23, 2025
- Musk stated he needs voting control to maintain influence over Tesla’s planned humanoid robot development, calling it a “robot army”
- He currently holds a 13% stake in Tesla and says he needs “mid-20s” percentage voting control to feel comfortable developing robots
- Proxy advisory firms ISS and Glass Lewis recommend shareholders reject the package, which Musk criticized during the call
- Tesla shareholders will vote on the compensation plan at their annual meeting on November 6, 2025
Elon Musk made an unusual request during Tesla’s third quarter earnings call. He asked shareholders to approve a new compensation package that could reach $1 trillion in value.
The Tesla CEO said he needs more voting control over the company. His main concern centers on the development of Tesla’s Optimus humanoid robot.
Musk currently owns 13% of Tesla. He sold many shares in recent years to fund his purchase of Twitter, now called X, in 2022.
During the call, Musk expressed concerns about being removed from the company. “My fundamental concern with regard to how much voting control I have at Tesla is, if I go ahead and build this enormous robot army, can I just be ousted at some point in the future?” he said.
He clarified that he doesn’t want full control. Musk said he needs voting power “in the mid-20s” percentage range to have strong influence without making it impossible to remove him.
The proposed pay package includes specific milestones. Musk would need to produce 1 million robotaxis and 1 million humanoid robots. Tesla’s valuation would also need to increase by trillions of dollars.
CFO Vaibhav Taneja asked shareholders to approve the compensation plan during the call. Musk added that the money isn’t for personal spending but rather about maintaining influence over the robot development.
Proxy Advisers Recommend Rejection
Two major proxy advisory firms oppose the package. ISS and Glass Lewis both recommend shareholders vote against Musk’s compensation plan.
Musk criticized these firms during the call. He called them “corporate terrorists” and said they “have no frigging clue” about the situation.
Tesla shareholders will vote on November 6, 2025. Analysts expect the package to pass despite opposition from proxy advisers.
Wedbush analyst Dan Ives wrote that he believes the plan “will be approved by a wide margin.” Barclays analyst Dan Levy also expects approval and thinks the stock could rally before the meeting.
Previous Pay Package Legal Issues
Elon Musk’s 2018 pay package faces legal challenges in Delaware. Shareholders claimed they lacked proper information to evaluate the compensation. A trial judge agreed with the shareholders.
The Delaware Supreme Court is currently reviewing Tesla’s appeal. Even if that package gets invalidated, analysts believe the new one will pass.
During the earnings call, Musk discussed Optimus robot development. He mentioned the challenge of creating dexterous robot hands and said Tesla is qualified for this work due to its manufacturing capabilities.
Musk said Tesla will reveal “Optimus V3” in the first quarter of 2026. The fourth version will scale to tens of thousands of units.
The shareholder vote takes place at Tesla’s annual general meeting on November 6. The outcome will determine whether Musk receives the compensation package and increased voting control he seeks.
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