FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Nov. 5, 2025
CONTACT: Jarice Thompson, jarice@ourfinancialsecurity.org
New Poll Reveals the General Public Opposes Elon Musk $1 Trillion Tesla Pay Package
Across party lines, a majority of people agree this pay plan takes corporate greed too far
Washington DC – A new poll revealed that the public opposes Tesla’s proposed $1 trillion pay package for Elon Musk by a 2-to-1 margin. On November 6th, Tesla will hold its annual shareholder meeting, where shareholders will have a chance to vote on the pay package, appointments to the board of directors, investment transfers to xAI—another of Musk’s business ventures—and other important issues.
The poll was commissioned by Americans for Financial Reform and performed by public opinion research and political strategy firm GBAO.
Read the polling results here.
This record-breaking pay package proposal comes amid Tesla’s declining profits and growing investor concerns over Musk’s attention being divided across his many companies and controversial political activities. If approved, this pay package—worth about ten times the combined compensation of every S&P 500 CEO—could make Musk the world’s first trillionaire.
“The results are in, and the public overwhelmingly agrees: no CEO deserves $1 trillion,” said Natalia Renta, associate director of corporate governance and power at the Americans for Financial Reform. “While the ongoing cost of living crisis is hurting the most financially vulnerable workers and families, the Tesla board wants to make the world’s richest man even richer. Tesla shareholders must reject this pay package that only further rigs the economy in favor of the preposterously wealthy.”
A coalition of labor unions and progressive advocacy groups launched a website to connect members of the public with their state financial officers and money managers like Vanguard and BlackRock so they can demand that these entities use their shareholder power to vote down the pay package and the Musk-aligned directors up for reelection.
Other poll findings:
- Musk’s political baggage is still harming the Tesla Brand;
- Many people including Democrats, Independents, and over 40% of Republicans believe the economy is tilted in favor of the wealthy;
- Most people think Musk is wealthier than any one person should be; and
- Most people think shareholders should vote against Musk’s $1 trillion pay plan.
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