A Wall Street Journal report says Musk’s ongoing legal battle over a 2018 pay package means Tesla paid him zero salary in 2024 – the lowest of all S&P 500 CEOs.
June-3, 2025: Elon Musk, the world’s richest person, has confirmed that he has not received any salary from Tesla for the past seven years. This revelation came after a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) report claimed Musk was the lowest-paid CEO in the S&P 500 last year, with Tesla awarding him zero salary in 2024.
Musk’s salary arrangement with Tesla has been in limbo for years due to a legal battle over a massive 2018 stock award. Courts have denied his pay package twice, citing flaws in the creation process.
Reacting to the WSJ report on X, an investor wrote, “Elon Musk was the lowest-paid chief executive of an S&P 500 company last year. Tesla paid him $0.” Musk responded, “Zero for seven years, despite increasing the value of the company >2000%.”
Zero for seven years, despite increasing the value of the company >2000% https://t.co/QNNHxpi3T2
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 2, 2025
Social Media Buzz
Reactions to Musk’s response were mixed. Some praised his focus on vision over salary, while others questioned the motivations behind his $0 pay. “It’s not about morals – it’s about tax advantages,” one post noted. Another joked, “Start a GoFundMe, Elon!”
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Expert Opinions on Musk’s Pay Structure
The WSJ article explored three options for calculating Musk’s salary:
- Simple Payment Structure
Alan Johnson of Johnson Associates argued that Tesla should pay Musk based on stock price performance rather than a fixed salary, noting, “There’s no point in putting out millions when for him that would be irrelevant.” - A CEO’s Salary
Robin Ferracone of Farient Advisors took a different stance, saying Tesla should set Musk’s pay similar to other big-tech CEOs like Mark Zuckerberg and Sundar Pichai. - Founder-CEO Approach
Axon CEO Rick Smith, who received a $165 million stock award last year, said he’d like to see “everyone aligned to the same metrics,” suggesting that Musk’s pay should be linked to performance goals.
Despite the zero-dollar salary, Musk’s massive Tesla stock-based compensation plan has already made him one of the wealthiest individuals in history.
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Elon Musk, Tesla CEO salary, S&P 500 CEOs, Tesla stock awards, 2018 pay package, Musk net worth, WSJ report, CEO compensation trends, founder-CEO pay, Tesla stock performance