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Rebellionaire Staff

Elon Musk Pay Package Rejected: What It Means for Tesla

Debates are raging over the Elon Musk pay package, with critics calling it judicial overreach and supporters praising the focus on corporate governance.


No pay package for Elon

$56 Billion? The Court Says “Not So Fast" to the Elon Musk Pay Package


Elon Musk and controversy go together like Tesla and EVs—inseparable. The latest drama? Delaware’s Judge Kathaleen McCormick just smacked down his $56 billion Tesla pay package. Again. Remember when shareholders gave it the green light back in June 2024? Doesn’t matter. McCormick called the whole process “creatively flawed.” Translation: “Nice try, but Elon’s fingerprints are all over this.”


Her ruling didn’t stop there. She’s also worried Musk wields too much power over Tesla’s board. And to top it off, McCormick handed the plaintiffs’ attorneys a record-breaking $345 million in legal fees. Yep, million. Not billion—but close enough to make headlines.


Overreach or Accountability? Let’s Break It Down.


This ruling has opinions flying faster than a Tesla Plaid. Critics are yelling judicial overreach, claiming McCormick’s meddling where she shouldn’t. Their argument? Shareholders already approved it, so case closed. But McCormick doesn’t buy it. She’s focused on corporate governance—making sure no CEO, not even Musk, has unchecked influence.


On the flip side, supporters are cheering this as a win for fairness. To them, it’s not about Elon or Tesla. It’s about setting boundaries for executive pay. If this sticks, it could shake up boardrooms far beyond Silicon Valley.


Rebellionaire creator Jordan Giesige, of The Limiting Factor, had this to say: “We own Tesla, not some random judge in Delaware.” A bold reminder that Tesla’s shareholders—many of them die-hard Teslanaires—see this as their company, not a chess piece for the courts to play with.


Meanwhile, Dillon Loomis, host of Electrified, didn’t hold back either:

"‘Judge’ Kathaleen McCormick needs to be investigated ASAP. To stick to her ruling rejecting Elon's pay package AFTER the extensive reports and disclosures Tesla spent hundreds of hours putting together AND after ANOTHER overwhelming majority shareholder vote in SUPPORT of the pay package is INSANE. There is no other explanation other than she is corrupt or completely inept."


Talk about setting the X feed on fire.


Gary Black Has a Plan (Sort Of)


Investor commentator Gary Black isn’t sold on the ruling either. He called it “too rigid” and thinks the Delaware Supreme Court might toss it. But here’s the thing—Black’s not all talk. He’s got a solution: redo the vote. Tesla’s board could rewrite the process, disclose Musk’s influence clearly, and let shareholders weigh in again. Sounds simple, right? Except Tesla’s drama rarely plays out smoothly.


And for those ready to move past the lower court drama, Rebellionaire creator James Stephenson chimed in with his take: "Good. Now that the heel-dragging is done, Tesla can finally appeal to the Delaware Supreme Court and get this farcical anti-shareholders’-rights ruling thrown onto the trash heap of Delaware lower court history, where it belongs."


Seems like plenty of Teslanaires are ready to fast-forward to the appeal phase.


What Does This Mean for Teslanaires?


Whether this ruling gets overturned or sticks like a bad parking job, one thing’s for sure—Musk isn’t handing over the keys to his empire anytime soon. But seriously, how much chaos are shareholders willing to ride out for innovation? At what point does “disruption” just feel like a never-ending soap opera?


And this? It’s not just about Tesla or Musk's bank account. It’s a bigger story about how much power CEOs should really have and what happens when a board lets things slide. You’d think Tesla’s biggest challenge right now would be figuring out how to crank out Cybertrucks without delays—but nope, welcome to Lawsuit-ville.


What do you think? Is this the accountability corporate America needs, or just another way to take a shot at Musk? Hit us up on X, because let’s face it—this drama isn’t slowing down anytime soon.

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