Elon Musk expressed fears of being ousted by “asinine” advisors during a dramatic interruption of a Tesla earnings call. The CEO, the world’s richest person, used the call to plead with investors to ratify his $1 trillion pay package.
The interruption occurred at the tail end of the 75-minute call, which had, until that point, been a “ho-hum” discussion of Tesla’s AI, Optimus robots, and robotaxi ambitions. Musk’s “fiery ending” was a “classic Musk” performance.
He specifically targeted ISS and Glass Lewis, shareholder advisory firms that oppose the plan. He claimed they “have no freaking clue” and said he didn’t feel comfortable “building a robot army” only to be “ousted” by their recommendations.
Musk argued for “enough voting control to give a strong influence,” while also adding a limiter: “But not not so much that I can’t be fired if I go insane.”
The package will be voted on at the Nov. 6 annual meeting in Austin. CFO Vaibhav Taneja concluded the call by defending the board’s proposal, stating it links Musk’s pay to “substantial returns” for shareholders and urged a “yes” vote.