Coalition Mobilizes Against Musk's Proposed $1 Trillion Pay Package

A Coalition Challenges Musk's $1 Trillion Pay Proposal

October 22, 2025 — In a coordinated effort, a group of influential labor unions and advocacy organizations has launched a campaign to rally Tesla workers, investors, and consumers against Elon Musk's proposed $1 trillion compensation package. The initiative comes as Tesla's shareholder meeting is slated for November 6, where the contentious pay plan is set for a vote.

The coalition, comprising notable entities such as the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), Communications Workers of America (CWA), and Public Citizen, among others, has introduced a new website. This platform empowers the public to directly influence state pension funds and leading mutual fund managers like Vanguard and Fidelity, urging them to oppose Musk's compensation package and challenge Board members who have not held Musk accountable.

As Tesla shareholders deliberate on Musk's potential decade-long $1 trillion pay package—an amount dwarfing the compensation of other top executives—the coalition is raising alarms about its implications. The proposal, coming after a Delaware court nullified Musk's previous $56 billion package, has been deemed "an unfathomable sum" by critics.

"The Tesla board, instead of upholding basic governance standards, wants to green light an outrageous $1 trillion pay package for a CEO who has spent most of the year engaged in childish political brawls, rather than working to create shareholder value," said American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten. "To reward this destructive behavior with an obscene salary is a slap in the face—not only to the federal workers he’s fired, but to the retirees whose pensions are invested in Tesla stock. We urge shareholders to join with us and demand their state pension officials reject Musk’s money grab and confiscate the Tesla board’s rubber stamp."

Criticism is mounting over Musk's leadership, with Claude Cummings Jr., President of the Communications Workers of America, stating, "Elon Musk is enriching himself by stealing from the American worker—from our infrastructure dollars for rural broadband to workers' private data from the Department of Labor—and now he wants to steal $1 trillion from our pensions and retirement accounts. Shareholders, unions and working people must all stand together to stop Musk's corporate heist."

The campaign calls on Tesla shareholders to counter Musk’s expansive power grab, emphasizing the potential ripple effects of their decision on future corporate practices. Natalia Renta, Associate Director of Corporate Governance and Power at Americans for Financial Reform, remarked, "Tesla shareholders can either check Musk’s corporate power grab, or vote to grant him more and more power. How shareholders vote on Musk's trillion-dollar pay package and other important Tesla ballot items will likely set the stage for similar attempts by other oligarchs to consolidate their own power."

Amidst the ongoing debate, Emma Ruby-Sachs, Executive Director of Ekō, contended, "No CEO is worth a trillion dollar pay package, but especially not Elon Musk, who has wiped billions off of Tesla’s share value, trashed the company’s reputation and driven millions of its customers away. Tesla’s shareholders need to show the judgment Musk so clearly lacks, and reject this pay deal."

With growing opposition from state financial officers and concerns over Musk's divided focus between Tesla and other entrepreneurial ventures, the coalition is advocating for a reevaluation of CEO compensation practices. They urge a halt to the election of Board members who lack independence from Musk and fail to adhere to corporate governance standards.

For further details, visit takebacktesla.com. To arrange interviews with campaign organizers, contact info@srresponse.org.

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