Elon Musk's Billion-Dollar Gamble: Can Tesla's CEO Achieve the 'Mars-shot' Milestones?

Elon Musk stands to gain an unprecedented $878 billion in stock compensation from Tesla, contingent on meeting ambitious 'Mars-shot' milestones. This incentive aims to push Musk towards revolutionizing Tesla and the broader society through advances in robotics, autonomous driving, stock value, and profits.

However, analysis by Reuters and industry experts suggests that Musk may secure tens of billions even without fulfilling these bold promises. Easier targets outlined by Tesla's board could net Musk up to $50 billion, without the game-changing transformation initially envisioned.

Despite criticisms, Tesla's board maintains that Musk is uniquely equipped to lead the company's AI-driven future. The compensation plan, fraught with risks, has shareholders betting on Musk's ability to deliver, despite profit targets being amongst the toughest hurdles to clear.

(With inputs from agencies.)