The SOC Investment Group has called for a formal investigation by NASDAQ into Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) regarding a recent $29 billion equity grant to CEO Elon Musk.
Tesla Faces Scrutiny Over Musk's New Pay Package Rules
The SOC Group, formerly CtW Investment Group, sent a letter to NASDAQ questioning Tesla's compliance with executive compensation rules and shareholder transparency. The group represents union-backed pension funds, many of which hold Tesla shares, reported Fortune.
Check out the current price of INTC stock here.
The group has voiced “serious concerns” over Musk’s new compensation package, alleging that Tesla’s board circumvented NASDAQ listing rules when granting Musk the “2025 CEO Interim Award”. They contend that this equity award should have necessitated a shareholder vote, as it significantly altered compensation plans.
Although the new package imposes restrictions—such as shares vesting only on the second anniversary of the grant and Musk being barred from selling vested shares for five years- it lacks strict performance requirements for him.
Tejal Patel, executive director of the SOC Investment Group, told Fortune that the “real issue is the fact that the original plan … was pretty clear in the disclosures that the company did not intend to include Elon Musk in that plan.”
The SOC Investment Group has long engaged with Tesla, raising concerns about executive pay, governance practices, board independence, and labor rights.
Musk's Pay Saga Deepens With Court Case, SEC Probe
This development follows a series of events surrounding Musk’s compensation package. In early August, Wedbush Securities’ analyst Dan Ives and Future Fund LLC’s managing director, Gary Black, reacted positively to Musk’s new $29 billion pay package. Ives also noted that the new pay package could alleviate one of the factors holding back the price of Tesla’s shares. The analysts believed it would secure Musk’s role as CEO until 2030. However, the package was also criticized for its lack of performance targets.
However, later in the month, the Delaware Supreme Court scheduled oral arguments over Musk’s $56 billion compensation package, which a trial court struck down in 2024.
Interestingly, the SOC Investment Group has a history of opposing large pay packages for Musk and has previously called for investigations into Tesla’s governance practices.
Benzinga’s Edge Rankings place Tesla in the 79th percentile for momentum and the 10th percentile for value, reflecting its weak performance. Check the detailed report here.
READ MORE:
Image via Shutterstock
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
