- Elon Musk blasted Senator Roland Gutierrez as a "taker" after Gutierrez criticized Musk’s potential $1 trillion Tesla pay package as taxpayer‑backed.
- The compensation is performance‑based—only paying if Tesla hits extreme targets (20M EVs, 1M robots, $8.5T market cap), sparking fierce investor and political division.
In a heated exchange that’s lighting up social media and sparking debates about wealth, inequality, and corporate incentives, Elon Musk has sharply rebuked a Democratic senator who accused him of securing a massive payday “on the backs of American taxpayers.”
The clash began when Texas Democrat Senator Roland Gutierrez took aim at Musk’s recently approved Tesla compensation package—potentially worth up to $1 trillion—highlighting how everyday Americans are “struggling to pay for groceries” while the billionaire benefits from what Gutierrez framed as taxpayer-funded gains.
Musk, never one to shy away from a fight on his platform X (formerly Twitter), didn’t hold back. He labeled Gutierrez a “taker” with a “zero-sum mindset,” going so far as to call that attitude “the root of evil.”
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This isn’t just petty name-calling—it’s tied to one of the biggest corporate pay deals in history. Just days ago, on November 6, 2025, Tesla shareholders overwhelmingly voted to approve Musk’s new performance-based compensation plan, with over 75% in favor.
The package could make Musk the world’s first trillionaire, but only if he delivers on some eye-wateringly ambitious goals.
What Exactly Is This $1 Trillion Package?
Let’s break it down. The deal isn’t a blank check—far from it. Musk has to propel Tesla’s market value to a staggering $8.5 trillion (that’s more than a 500% jump from current levels) and keep it there for years.
On top of that:
- Deliver 20 million electric vehicles over the next decade—more than double what Tesla has produced since its founding, amid fierce competition from rivals like BYD and legacy automakers going all-in on EVs.
- Deploy 1 million humanoid robots, what Musk has dubbed a “robot army,” starting from zero today. These Optimus bots are pitched as game-changers for work and home life.
- Hit other operational milestones, like massive earnings growth and robotaxi deployment.
If Tesla “merely” hits a $1.999 trillion valuation? Musk gets zilch. As he put it verbatim: “If Tesla ‘merely’ becomes a $1.999 trillion dollar company, I get nothing.
This is a great deal for shareholders, which is why they voted so overwhelmingly to approve this, for which I am immensely grateful.”
Musk went on: “Regarding Tesla, the reality is that I have been given nothing.
However, if I lead Tesla to become the most valuable company in the world by far and it stays that way for 5 years, shareholders voted to award me 12% of what is built.
Anyone who wants to come along for the ride can buy Tesla stock.”
And in a mic-drop moment aimed directly at the senator: “And they did so by a margin far more than you won your political seat.”
The Backstory: Opposition and Triumph
This approval didn’t come easy. Musk’s pay plan faced fierce pushback from big institutional investors like CalPERS (America’s largest public pension fund) and Norway’s sovereign wealth fund.
Corporate watchdogs Institutional Shareholder Services and Glass Lewis slammed it too, earning them the nickname “corporate terrorists” from an irate Musk at a recent investor meeting.
Labor unions and some Democratic-led pension funds also campaigned against it, arguing it rewards failure amid falling sales and safety concerns.
One protest group, Tesla Takedown, called it “the world’s most expensive participation trophy.”
Yet retail investors—Musk’s loyal fanbase—helped tip the scales. Chants of “Elon” erupted at the Austin shareholder meeting when the results dropped.
Supporters like investor Cathie Wood argued that tying Musk’s fate to Tesla’s explosive growth benefits everyone who owns the stock.
Musk himself has defended it as necessary to keep him at the helm, especially for building out AI, robotaxis, and those humanoid bots. “I just don’t feel comfortable building a robot army here and then being ousted,” he said last month.
Why Gutierrez’s Attack Stings—and Why Musk Hit Back Hard
Gutierrez’s jab tied into broader gripes: that Musk’s empire benefits from government subsidies, tax credits for EVs, and now, his role in the incoming Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Critics see hypocrisy in a guy railing against “waste” while pocketing potential trillions.
But Musk flipped the script, framing the package as pure performance—zero upfront cash, all earned through value creation.
His “taker” label paints politicians like Gutierrez as the real drain on society, living off taxes without creating wealth.
This spat comes as Musk’s net worth has already blasted past $500 billion, making him the first person ever to hit that mark.
With Tesla shares surging post-election on bets of favorable policies, the trillionaire club might not be far off.
The Bigger Picture: America’s Split on Billionaire Paydays
The vote created a wild split-screen: Shareholders embracing winner-takes-all capitalism, while progressives—like New York’s new democratic socialist mayor—push to tax the ultra-rich harder.
Analysts are split too. Some call it “absurd” that Musk needs this to stay motivated when he’s already loaded.
Others say it’s genius alignment: Musk wins big only if investors do.
As one fund manager put it, “There are no layups, and Elon only gets additional voting rights if he delivers on bold market capitalization and operational goals.”
Love him or hate him, Musk’s retort has gone viral, racking up millions of views. In a world where grocery bills bite and trillion-dollar dreams seem out of reach, this feud hits at the heart of the American wealth debate.
Will Musk deliver the goods and claim his trillion? Or will critics be proven right?
One thing’s clear: The show’s just getting started.
Also Read: A DOJ Whistleblower Now Makes Revelation That Undermines the Judicial System’s Integrity
