Musk Battles “Corporate Terrorists” Over Historic $1 Trillion Compensation Vote

Musk’s Trillion-Dollar Power Play

Elon Musk could become the world’s first trillionaire if Tesla investors approve an unprecedented $1 trillion compensation package on November 6, according to recent earnings call discussions. However, the Tesla CEO insists the massive pay package isn’t about wealth accumulation but rather about securing sufficient voting control to guide the company’s artificial intelligence and robotics development.

Musk’s Trillion-Dollar Power Play
Proxy Advisors Draw Musk’s Ire
The Optimus “Money Glitch”
Autonomous Expansion Accelerates
AI Confidence Amid Challenges

Sources indicate that Musk currently holds approximately 13.5% voting power in Tesla and is seeking to increase this to “the mid-20s approximately” through the proposed compensation plan. “I don’t feel comfortable building that robot army if I don’t have at least a strong influence,” Musk stated during Wednesday’s third quarter earnings call, referencing Tesla’s Optimus humanoid robot project., according to further reading

Proxy Advisors Draw Musk’s Ire

Two influential proxy advisory firms have reportedly urged Tesla investors to reject the compensation package, prompting Musk’s strong reaction. Institutional Shareholder Services and Glass Lewis have expressed concerns about potential decreases in company value and proposal details, according to their published analyses.

During the earnings call, Musk characterized both firms as “corporate terrorists,” suggesting they’re obstructing his vision for Tesla’s future. The confrontation comes as Tesla faces increasing competition in both electric vehicles and autonomous technology sectors.

The Optimus “Money Glitch”

Musk made bold claims about Tesla’s robotics ambitions, describing the Optimus project as “an infinite money glitch” that could revolutionize productivity. According to his statements, the humanoid robots could achieve “probably 5x the productivity of a person per year” and might even perform complex tasks like surgery.

“It won’t even seem like a robot. It’ll seem like a person in a robot suit,” Musk claimed, adding that the robots would appear so realistic that observers would need to physically interact with them to confirm their artificial nature. However, analysts suggest these projections should be viewed in context of Musk’s history of optimistic timelines that don’t always materialize as planned.

Autonomous Expansion Accelerates

Tesla is reportedly accelerating its autonomous vehicle initiatives despite recent profitability challenges. Company executives indicated that record vehicle deliveries in the past quarter weren’t sufficient to maintain profits, which they attribute partly to tariffs implemented during the Trump administration.

Musk announced plans to remove safety drivers from robotaxis “at least in large parts of Austin by the end of this year.” The autonomous service currently operates in Austin and San Francisco with human safety monitors, but reportedly plans to expand to eight to ten metropolitan areas including Nevada, Florida and Arizona by year’s end.

The expansion comes as competitor Waymo operates in five metro areas with plans for five additional markets. Meanwhile, General Motors unveiled its own “eyes-off” electric vehicle technology scheduled for 2028 deployment, highlighting the intensifying competition in autonomous transportation.

AI Confidence Amid Challenges

Musk spent significant portions of the earnings call reassuring investors about Tesla’s artificial intelligence capabilities, claiming the company has achieved “clarity” on unsupervised full self-driving technology. “At this point I feel 100% confident that we can solve unsupervised full self-driving at a safety level much greater than any human,” he stated.

The Tesla CEO also made striking claims about the company’s AI superiority, suggesting that “Tesla has the highest intelligence density” and that its artificial intelligence is “probably an order of magnitude better than anyone else” when measuring intelligence per gigabyte. However, these assertions come as Tesla’s robotaxi program continues facing regulatory scrutiny and legal challenges in its existing markets.

According to industry observers, Tesla’s increasing focus on AI and robotics represents a strategic pivot as electric vehicle tax credits expire and market competition intensifies. The November 6 shareholder vote on Musk’s compensation package will likely determine whether he obtains the voting influence he claims is necessary to pursue these ambitious technological goals.