# Tesla buyout by SpaceX could unlock Musk’s $1 trillion payday 2026-08-12T02:25:20+00:00 | Business & Economy | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Hindustan Times reports that Tesla's 2025 CEO Performance Award Agreement contains a clause that could let Elon Musk bypass half his performance targets if the automaker is acquired. The pay package, worth up to $1 trillion in stock, requires 12 market-value goals and 12 operational milestones, including selling 1 million robots. But a single sentence on page five of the 16-page contract states that if Tesla is taken over, only market-value targets remain, based on the deal price. Musk controls about 86% of voting power at SpaceX, giving him wide authority to make an offer. An $8.5 trillion deal, six times Tesla's recent value, would deliver the full 424 million shares. Legal experts say Texas law shields SpaceX from most shareholder lawsuits, though Tesla investors must still approve any deal. Musk holds under 20% of Tesla's voting shares, making persuasion necessary. ## Coverage - hindustantimes.com Tags: acquisition, Elon Musk, executive pay, shareholders, SpaceX, Tesla Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/tesla-buyout-by-spacex-could-unlock-musks-1-trillion-payday/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/tesla-buyout-by-spacex-could-unlock-musks-1-trillion-payday/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.