How Elon Musk Actually Gets Paid (It's Not a Salary)

Elon Musk's net worth is estimated at more than $400 billion — and his salary as Tesla's CEO is zero. This video explains how Musk actually gets paid: milestone-based stock options, ownership stakes in Tesla and SpaceX, and borrowing against shares instead of selling them. We follow the money through the 2018 Tesla pay package, the Delaware ruling that voided roughly $56 billion in options in January 2024, the shareholder re-vote in June 2024, the interim award of about $29 billion in 2025, and the package approved in November 2025 that could pay close to $1 trillion if extreme decade-long targets are met. 0:00 Hook 0:15 The 2018 pay package 1:05 The ruling that erased $56 billion 1:45 Where the wealth actually sits 2:55 Borrowing against shares 3:30 Re-vote, appeal, and the trillion-dollar plan 4:40 What it means Key sources: Tesla proxy statements (2018, 2024, 2025); Delaware Court of Chancery opinion, Tornetta v. Musk (January 2024); Tesla annual meeting results (June 2024); xAI announcement on the X transaction (March 2025); Bloomberg Billionaires Index (December 2024); Reuters and CNBC reporting on the 2025 interim award and shareholder vote. Note: net worth figures in this video are estimates that change with Tesla's share price, not verified balance sheets. #ElonMusk #NetWorth #Tesla