SpaceX Buying Tesla Could Hand Elon Musk an $824 Billion Payday

TLDR

• A merger clause in Musk’s Tesla pay deal would wipe out key performance targets if Tesla is acquired
• SpaceX acquiring Tesla could automatically count operating goals as achieved, leaving deal price as the main factor in Musk’s payout
• Musk controls about 86% of SpaceX’s voting power, giving him heavy influence over any offer
• Tesla shareholders and potential lawsuits remain the main obstacles to any deal
• The maximum payout has dropped from $1 trillion to around $824 billion due to more Tesla shares being issued

Tesla shareholders approved a record pay package for Elon Musk last year worth up to $824 billion in stock. To collect it, Musk normally needs to hit 12 market-value targets and a matching set of operating goals.

Deep in a $1 trillion pay package approved by Tesla’s shareholders is an escape clause that could pay off for Elon Musk in several ways if he folds the automaker into his SpaceX empire. https://t.co/cHTfjScUGq

- The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) August 11, 2026

Those operating targets are steep. They include delivering Tesla’s 20 millionth vehicle, selling one million robots, and putting one million robotaxis on the road.

… Continue reading the full article at the original source below.