Delaware Supreme Court reinstated Musk’s 2018 Tesla compensation

22-Dec-2025

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Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s net worth surged to an estimated USD 749 billion on Dec 19 following a major legal victory, making him the first person in history to exceed USD 700 billion in wealth.

The Delaware Supreme Court reinstated Musk’s controversial 2018 Tesla compensation package, which had been voided by a lower court in 2024 as “unfathomable.” 

The high court ruled that rescinding the deal was improper and inequitable, reversing the earlier decision and restoring the stock options tied to that pay plan.

Originally approved in 2018, Musk’s compensation deal was based entirely on performance milestones for Tesla, granting him stock options worth about USD 56 billion at the time. 

Since then, Tesla’s stock price climbed dramatically, boosting the value of those options to approximately USD 139 billion by Dec 19.