Tesla is undertaking an extensive and highly concerted campaign to ensure that Elon Musk’s monumental $1 trillion compensation package gains shareholder approval. The electric vehicle manufacturer has initiated an ambitious advertising effort designed to persuade shareholders to cast their votes in favor of the proposal. According to a disclosure the company submitted to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Thursday, Tesla has invested in a series of promotional advertisements distributed across a broad range of online platforms and social media networks.
These advertisements, strategically placed on major digital hubs such as X (formerly Twitter), Reddit, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google Search, uniformly urge Tesla investors to endorse the trillion-dollar pay plan during the company’s forthcoming annual meeting, scheduled for November. One particularly notable advertisement, surfaced on X—a platform that Musk himself owns—showcases Tesla’s humanoid Optimus robot alongside a bold slogan asserting that approval of the compensation package will ultimately “create trillions in shareholder value.” This imagery appears to emphasize the connection between Musk’s leadership vision and Tesla’s projected long-term growth, positioning the pay package as an investment in innovation rather than a mere reward for past performance.
This type of direct marketing initiative is strikingly unusual for Tesla. Unlike virtually every other major car manufacturer, the company has built its global reputation with minimal reliance on conventional advertising campaigns. Instead, Tesla has traditionally leaned on Musk’s extraordinary public persona and his frequent, influential postings on social media—particularly on X—to generate organic interest, publicity, and brand loyalty. For years, this unconventional strategy served as an emblem of Tesla’s commitment to disruption—not only in the automotive sector but also in corporate communication.
However, investor expectations have occasionally pushed the company toward more traditional marketing avenues. In 2023, Tesla cautiously experimented with small-scale advertising after facing shareholder pressure to enhance brand visibility. Yet this initiative was short-lived. Reports indicate that in April 2024, amid broader company-wide layoffs, Tesla disbanded its entire marketing division. Even the company’s advertising expenditures on X, Musk’s own platform, have since dwindled to nearly negligible levels. Whereas Tesla had spent approximately $400,000 on X advertising throughout 2024, filings reveal that only $10,000 was allocated to such ads during the initial two months of the same year. The sharp decline reflects the company’s general aversion to paid marketing, further highlighting the exceptional nature of the current campaign.
Indeed, Tesla’s recent decision to promote Musk’s compensation plan through paid advertisements represents a clear departure from its established norms. This is not the first instance in which Tesla has launched such an advocacy effort. In May of the previous year, the company disclosed that it had purchased ads to encourage shareholders to reaffirm Musk’s earlier $55 billion pay package. That prior plan had been invalidated by a Delaware judge, who ruled against it in late 2024. In response to the judicial setback and to maintain its incentive-driven executive structure, Tesla has now introduced a far larger and more ambitious $1 trillion compensation proposal, intended as a replacement for the previously annulled arrangement.
The proposed pay agreement is contingent upon Musk achieving a demanding series of performance milestones spread over the next decade. These targets, which collectively determine Musk’s eligibility to access the full share-based allocation—potentially valued at roughly $1 trillion—are centered on Tesla’s sustained growth and technological expansion. Among the criteria are the sale of nearly 12 million electric vehicles, the successful commercialization and sale of one million Optimus robots, and the elevation of Tesla’s total market capitalization to an extraordinary $8.5 trillion. Attaining these objectives would signify an unprecedented escalation in Tesla’s global scale and competitive dominance, aligning the compensation’s magnitude with similarly vast corporate ambitions.
When contacted for further comment, Tesla did not provide an immediate response. The inquiry was sent outside of regular business hours, leaving the company’s official stance undisclosed at the time of reporting. Nonetheless, the unfolding situation underscores a fascinating convergence of corporate strategy, executive compensation, and investor relations—an intersection that continues to define Tesla’s unique position at the forefront of modern industry.
Sourse: https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-spends-on-ads-promote-elon-musks-trillion-pay-package-2025-10
