CNBC Will Elon Musk’s Trillion Dollar Pay Package Become The New Norm In The U.S.?

Since the late 20th century CEO pay has exploded, widening the divide between the ultra wealthy and working class Americans. Now, Tesla CEO Elon Musk could set a new standard in CEO pay packages, becoming the first trillionaire CEO after his record breaking pay package was approved in November 2025. Tesla is not alone in this, U.S. mega-cap CEOs like Apple’s Tim Cook, Google’s Sundar Pichai, and Amazon’s Andy Jassy are also seeing their net worth skyrocket, as massive pay packages become the standard across S&P 500 companies. So what is behind these huge pay outs, how do these companies afford them, and is there a payoff or is it just luck?

Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
1:13 What’s in a pay package?
4:20 Is there a payoff
8:17 Worker Pay
10:43 The future of compensation

Produced by: Devan Burris
Reporter: Robert Frank
Edited by: Darren Geeter
Animation: Jason Reginato, Emily Park
Camera and Senior Managing Producer: Shawn Baldwin
Additional Footage: Getty, Tesla

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Will Elon Musk’s Trillion Dollar Pay Package Become The New Norm In The U.S.?

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