This Is How Much Elon Musk Got as Salary After Tesla Shows 2000% Company Growth in 7 Years

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.

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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%.”

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:

1. 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.”
2. 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.
3. 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