Musk’s Wealth Hits Record $700 Billion After Court Ruling, Surpasses 1,105 Trillion Won

Tesla Wins 2018 CEO Compensation Lawsuit
Musk’s Stock Option Value Soars

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, saw his personal wealth surpass $749 billion (approximately 1,105 trillion won), reaching an all-time high after a U.S. court approved his compensation plan. This surge was driven by a sharp increase in the value of Musk's stock options following Tesla’s victory in a lawsuit brought by minority shareholders over the 2018 CEO compensation package.

On December 19 (local time), Reuters, citing the Forbes Billionaires Index, reported that Musk’s personal fortune has exceeded $700 billion for the first time ever.

This milestone was the result of the Delaware Supreme Court’s decision on December 19 to reject the appeal from minority shareholders and uphold the 2018 CEO compensation plan, which included the granting of stock options. The scale of these stock options amounts to roughly 9% of Tesla’s outstanding shares, and at the current share price, their value is estimated at $139 billion. Tesla’s stock price has soared from about $20 per share in 2018 to nearly $500 now, causing the value of Musk’s stock options to skyrocket as well.

Separately, at last month’s Tesla shareholders’ meeting, a plan was approved to grant Musk a $1 trillion compensation package-the largest in corporate history-if he achieves management targets, including a market capitalization of $8.5 trillion.

Earlier, on December 15, reports that space exploration company SpaceX was likely to go public pushed Musk’s estimated wealth above $600 billion for the first time ever, according to the Forbes Billionaires Index.

As of December 20, the wealth gap between Musk and the world’s second-richest person, Google co-founder Larry Page, had widened to nearly $500 billion.