Tesla registers 300 million shares of equity, Musk’s stake rises back to 20%, and the world’s richest person’s wealth adds another $1 billion

According to multiple filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) submitted based on (Tesla) by Tesla, Tesla has issued more than 300 million stock options for CEO Elon Musk, bringing Musk’s ownership stake back above 20%. Musk, the world’s richest person, currently has a net worth of $64.9 billion, which has not yet included the aforementioned options; if all are exercised at $23.34 per share, they could generate as much as $108 billion in profit for Musk.

Tesla issues 300 million shares of equity sources: 2018 incentive plan and implementation agreement

The 303,960,630 shares of common stock registered in this filing primarily come from the “CEO Performance Incentive Plan” passed in 2018. Under the “Implementation Agreement” signed on April 21, 2026, this batch of shares has already been eligible for exercise under the law, and registration was completed through an S-8 filing to ensure future market liquidity. However, this is not an unconditional grant; the shares are still subject to “service-based forfeiture conditions,” meaning Musk must continue to stay on as an employee within a specific timeframe; otherwise, the shares will be clawed back. This action shows the company’s attempt to both meet legal judgment requirements and ensure that the CEO and the company’s long-term interests are deeply tied.

Musk’s ownership stake surpasses 20.3%: structural changes in beneficial ownership

According to the 13G filing, Musk’s total beneficially owned holdings currently reach approximately 717 million shares, representing an ownership stake of about 20.3% (calculated on the basis of 3.75 billion shares outstanding). This figure includes the 413 million shares held in trust, as well as the aforementioned 304 million shares of options that are set to be exercised. Notably, this ownership percentage already deducts the interim incentive shares of 96 million shares that were forfeited due to the judicial ruling in the “Tornetta case.”

Musk’s ownership stake has rebounded to above 20%, which reinforces Musk’s influence on the company in terms of financial psychology, but, due to the share dilution effect, it has also become a key indicator that investors watch for earnings per share (EPS) performance.

Checks and balances on voting power: decoupling economic interests and governance rights

Although Musk’s economic ownership stake has increased substantially, his “voting governance rights” are subject to strict limitations. The documents reveal that the 423 million shares involved in Musk’s 2025 performance incentive are currently restricted by a “Voting Agreement,” and Musk does not have voting rights over them; instead, the company secretary of Tesla must cast “neutral votes” based on the voting proportions of other shareholders. This design means that while Musk has a high proportion of asset-related beneficial rights, he cannot directly monopolize the votes on major decisions. This “decoupling of economic rights and voting rights” mechanism is a compromise protection measure adopted by Tesla’s board of directors in response to past governance controversies.

Musk remains the world’s richest person; exercising options will bring in hundreds of billions of dollars

According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Musk still ranks as the world’s richest person. His current net worth is $64.9 billion, which has not yet included the 304 million stock options exercisable as mentioned above.

As previously reported, since 2018 Musk has not taken a fixed salary; instead, the company breaks down long-term targets into phased results, and whenever he achieves them, he receives compensation similar to performance bonuses and dividends. After meeting targets, Musk can subscribe to Tesla stock at a price of $23.34 per share, but there is a 5-year lockup period; based on Tesla’s current share price of $378.67, if all are exercised, it could generate profits of up to $108 billion.

This article Tesla registers 300 million shares of equity; Musk’s stake rebounds to 20%; the world’s richest person’s fortune gains another one hundred billion dollars first appeared on Chain News ABMedia.