Elon Musk Takes Over Tesla Call to Fight for $1 Trillion

A 75-minute Tesla earnings call ended in a “classic Musk” moment as the CEO, Elon Musk, interrupted his CFO to fight for his $1 trillion pay package. The world’s richest person spent his time pleading with investors and blasting opponents of the plan.
Shareholders are scheduled to vote on the massive compensation deal at the Nov. 6 annual meeting in Austin. Musk’s impromptu speech seemed calculated to sway opinion, turning a “ho-hum” call about AI and robotaxis into a personal referendum.
Musk specifically targeted shareholder advisory firms ISS and Glass Lewis. He claimed they “have no freaking clue” and are not voting in shareholders’ interests, labeling their advice against the plan as “asinine recommendations.”
His core argument was about control, stating he needs “a strong influence” to build Tesla’s future, including its “robot army.” Yet, he also insisted he didn’t want absolute power, noting he could still be “fired if I go insane.”
CFO Vaibhav Taneja had the last word, urging shareholders “more than once” to vote in favor. Taneja defended the board’s proposal, stating it ensures Musk only gets benefits after shareholders see “substantial returns.”