Elon Musk’s Fiery $1 Trillion Pitch Interrupts Ho-Hum Tesla Call

A Tesla earnings call that was meandering through AI initiatives and Optimus robots was suddenly hijacked by CEO Elon Musk. In a fiery conclusion to the 75-minute call, Musk interrupted his CFO to make a personal case for his $1 trillion pay package.
The world’s richest person pleaded with investors to ratify the plan, which faces a crucial vote at the Nov. 6 annual meeting in Austin. Musk’s speech was a sharp departure from the “ho-hum” tone of the preceding discussion.
Musk spent his time blasting shareholder advisory firms ISS and Glass Lewis, which have come out against the plan. He accused them of having “no freaking clue” and making “asinine recommendations” that are not in shareholders’ best interests.
His justification for the package centered on control. Musk said he needs “enough voting control to give a strong influence,” especially as Tesla develops a “robot army.” However, he also acknowledged limits, saying he didn’t want so much power that he “can’t be fired if I go insane.”
CFO Vaibhav Taneja was left with the final words, using them to support the board’s proposal. Taneja argued the plan benefits Musk only if shareholders see “substantial returns” and urged investors to vote in favor of the package.