Elon Musk’s status as the world’s richest person is heavily tied to his stake in Tesla (TSLA), the electric vehicle company where he serves as CEO. Musk’s wealth will be tied even more strongly to Tesla after the company recently awarded him an interim pay package of 96 million shares.
Details of the package were included in a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing dated Aug. 3, 2025.
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As CNBC reported, Musk’s new shares will vest in two years as long as he continues as CEO or in another “key executive position.” However, Musk is currently in a legal battle regarding his 2018 compensation. If that ends with him being able to exercise shares from that package, he will not receive the new shares.
But if he does, how much are those shares actually worth? And what does it mean for Musk’s wealth?
How Much Is the Award Worth?
At the time the award was made public, the 96 million shares were worth about $29 billion. But that figure has since changed. Based on Tesla’s closing price of $339.03 on Aug. 11, 2025, the shares are currently worth about $32.5 billion.
To put that dollar amount into context, consider this: If you suddenly found yourself with $32.5 billion, you’d be the 60th-richest person in the world, according to the latest Forbes billionaire list.
Musk himself remains the richest person in the world, with a net worth of $418.5 billion. But his lead is shrinking — mainly because Tesla’s stock price has fallen by roughly one-quarter since closing at $426.50 on Jan. 17, 2025. On that date, the 96 million shares would have been worth $40.9 billion.
But weep not for Musk. A year ago, Tesla traded for around $201 a share, so its value has risen by nearly 69% since then.
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Taking Stock of Musk’s Wealth
Musk’s wealth is almost all connected to his holdings in Tesla, rocket producer SpaceX and artificial intelligence startup xAI. He owns about 12% of Tesla excluding options, according to Forbes. Tesla’s market cap is roughly $1 trillion, so a 12% stake would equal about $120 billion.
As Forbes noted, Musk’s legal situation with Tesla started in early 2024, when a Delaware judge voided Musk’s 2018 deal to receive options that equaled another 9% of the company. Pending Musk’s appeal, Forbes has discounted the options by 50%.
Tesla Takes a Few Hits
Tesla’s stock woes this year have their roots in both politics and business fundamentals.
The politics part involved Musk’s role as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a nonofficial organization created by President Donald Trump to downsize the federal government.
DOGE became a center of controversy because of how quickly it laid off government workers and gutted federal agencies, which hurt Musk’s public image and the Tesla brand. He has since left the organization to devote more time to Tesla, which has suffered from plunging sales in key global markets.
Meanwhile, Musk and Tesla find themselves battling another headache on the legal front. As Reuters reported, both were named in a lawsuit brought by shareholders. They are accused of securities fraud for hiding safety risks tied to self-driving vehicles — including the robotaxi.
Editor’s note on political coverage: GOBankingRates is nonpartisan and strives to cover all aspects of the economy objectively and present balanced reports on politically focused finance stories. You can find more coverage of this topic on GOBankingRates.com.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Tesla Is Awarding Elon Musk 96 Million Shares of Stock: Here’s How Much It’s Worth
