Elon Musk plans to build what he calls an “army of robots,” Wired reported earlier this week, citing the Tesla CEO’s remarks on the company’s recent earnings call. The billionaire entrepreneur is said to be seeking to further expand his personal influence over Tesla as the company expands into robotics and AI.
According to the report, Mr. Musk is pushing to raise his voting stake in Tesla to about 25%, arguing that the company needs greater control as it develops humanoid robots and AI systems, and defending a compensation package that could be worth up to $975 billion.
Musk reportedly told investors that his main concern was maintaining sufficient control over Tesla’s future direction. He said he would be concerned about “building a robot army” unless he had a strong say (not outright control, but significant influence) over how the robot army was run.
The proposed dividend, announced in September, would be distributed over 10 years if Tesla achieves a series of ambitious milestones. To unlock the complete package, the company must increase its market value from just over $1 trillion to $8.5 trillion, deliver 20 million electric vehicles, produce 1 million robotaxis, and manufacture 1 million Optimus humanoid robots. If these goals are met, Musk’s ownership could increase from 13% to 25%.
MNA/