The pressure is mounting ahead of Tesla’s Nov. 6 annual meeting, where shareholders will vote on Elon Musk’s $1 trillion pay package. The CEO himself underscored the stakes by interrupting a company earnings call to plead his case directly to investors.
Musk, the world’s richest person, took over the end of the 75-minute call, arguing passionately for the package’s ratification. This fiery ending contrasted sharply with the earlier, more subdued discussion about Tesla’s AI initiatives, Optimus robots, and robotaxi service.
Musk’s plea focused on his need for voting control to steer the company. “I just think that there needs to be enough voting control to give a strong influence,” he said, before adding the caveat that he shouldn’t have so much power he “can’t be fired if I go insane.”
He also launched a blistering attack on proxy advisory services ISS and Glass Lewis, which oppose the plan. Musk called their recommendations “asinine,” claimed they “have no freaking clue,” and worried they could lead to his ouster after “building a robot army.”
Tesla CFO Vaibhav Taneja closed the call by defending the board’s work. He assured shareholders the compensation package was designed to ensure Musk only benefits after investors see “substantial returns” and urged them to vote “yes.”
