Tesla's 2025 performance compensation plan includes a change-of-control clause that has raised governance concerns. According to the article, a merger involving Tesla and SpaceX could allow operating milestones to be disregarded, with compensation determined only by market value. The clause could create a path for Musk to receive up to $1 trillion without meeting the original performance targets.
The Verge’s commentary compares Elon Musk’s SpaceX IPO filing to the much-mocked WeWork IPO document. The author says WeWork was a joke, but SpaceX is framed as a more serious threat because ordinary investors could become the “bagholders.” Based on the provided excerpt, the piece is a sharp critique of IPO hype, banker incentives, and risk transfer to public-market buyers.