Elon Musk Wants $1 Trillion to Build Tesla’s Robot Army

Elon Musk wants to be paid like the general of a robot revolution. His price tag: $1 trillion.

Tesla’s preliminary proxy filing with the SEC outlines a plan that would grant Musk enormous stock options if the company’s market cap reaches $10 trillion over the next decade — a deal that could cement his dominance over Tesla’s AI and robotics programs.

Musk has argued that the eye-raising package is necessary to preserve his influence over Tesla’s long-term direction as it pivots toward autonomous systems, AI-driven manufacturing, and its Optimus humanoid robot program. 

“My fundamental concern with regard to how much voting control I have at Tesla is, if I go ahead and build this enormous robot army, can I just be ousted at some point in the future?” Musk said during Tesla’s third-quarter earnings call on October 22. 

He added: “If we build this robot army, do I have at least a strong influence over this robot army? Not control, but a strong influence … I don’t feel comfortable building that robot army unless I have a strong influence.”

Musk’s demand is backed by Tesla Chair Robyn Denholm, who, in a letter to Tesla stakeholders, supports Musk’s claim that Tesla will cede ground to competitors like OpenAI, Google DeepMind, and Amazon Robotics if he were to leave without gaining greater equity control and influence over the company’s AI initiatives.  

If Musk gets his way, his stake in Tesla will grow to nearly 29% dependent on performance targets, including producing millions of Optimus robots that the CEO claims will ultimately replace humans. 

Critics sound off against the deal 

Critics of the new proposal have bristled at Musk’s latest attempt to assert dominance under the guise of visionary innovation.

Opposition is mounting from institutional investors, governance watchdogs, and Tesla’s shareholders organized under groups like Take Back Tesla, who argue that Musk’s demand reflects an unhealthy consolidation of power. The advocacy group argues that granting Musk additional leverage over Tesla’s AI and robotics programs risks placing too much economic and political power in the hands of one individual. 

“Let’s be clear, Musk already owns nearly 20% of Tesla’s outstanding shares, and would stand to benefit a great deal from an increase in Tesla’s share price, even without this new compensation plan,” Take Back Tesla said in their online statement. “Rewarding Musk to the tune of up to $1 trillion would give him too much of the pie at shareholders’ expense.”

Proxy advisory firms, including Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) and Glass Lewis, have also questioned the board’s independence and fiduciary duty. Pointing to the lack of checks and balances on Musk’s ambitions, critics have been vocal about the uncomfortably acquiescent relationship between Tesla’s board and its CEO. 

Concentrating AI power

If approved, Musk’s $1 trillion plan could cement Tesla’s transformation from a carmaker to a full-scale AI conglomerate. The company’s Optimus robots are already performing limited factory tasks. But Musk envisions millions of units operating globally, with applications in logistics, healthcare, and household use. 

Musk’s bid marks a growing trend of billionaire-led companies reshaping labor, automation, and AI policy with minimal oversight. As AI integration accelerates, governance experts warn that Musk’s push for unprecedented compensation and control represents a test case for how far private visionaries can steer global technology and how much society is willing to let them. 

Tesla’s board will vote on Musk’s proposed package on Nov. 6.

In September, Tesla announced that it had shifted its training strategy for Optimus. Instead of relying on motion capture suits and teleoperation, Tesla is moving toward a vision-only approach.