# The staggering sum is the possible pay for last year heading the way of Elon Musk, the Tesla boss.

*fintech · news · 2026-05-01 · The Sunday Times*

## Key points

- Elon Musk's potential $158 billion Tesla payout is contingent on reaching ambitious performance targets.
- This is the first regulatory disclosure of Musk's putative annual earnings since the $1 trillion pay package approval.
- Musk must lead Tesla to a $2 trillion valuation and operational milestones to secure the first payout tranche.
- Achieving the full $1 trillion package requires Tesla to reach an $8.5 trillion valuation and deploy a million robots and robotaxis.
- Tesla warns that reported compensation may differ greatly from what Musk actually realizes each year.

**Companies:** Tesla, SpaceX
**Countries:** United States

[Read the full story on The Sunday Times](https://www.thetimes.com/business/companies-markets/article/elon-musk-tesla-space-x-pay-gbwljlzb7)

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