Tesla Board Chair Dismisses Political Impact Amid Musk Pay Proposal

Tesla has received approval from the Nevada DMV to begin public road testing of its robotaxis, marking a significant step in the company's autonomous vehicle ambitions. Despite backlash and a decline in sales linked to CEO Elon Musk's political activities and support of far-right viewpoints, Tesla's board chair Robyn Denholm maintains that these political factors will not impact long-term consumer behavior, emphasizing that Tesla's success is driven by its beloved products. Denholm highlighted Musk's return to a central leadership role at Tesla after stepping down from a U.S. government advisory position, underscoring confidence in his ability to lead the company through a transformative period focused on AI, autonomous driving, and robotics. The board is backing a new, ambitious pay package for Musk tied to aggressive operational and market-cap milestones, aiming to motivate delivery on goals like producing 20 million vehicles and expanding robotaxi services. Denholm described Musk as a generational leader uniquely suited to guide Tesla through the next decade of innovation, with the compensation plan structured to incentivize achievement without guaranteed payout unless targets are met. The board's commitment reflects a strategic decision to retain Musk's leadership amid the evolving landscape of electric and autonomous vehicles.