Since the late 20th century CEO pay has exploded, widening the divide between the ultra wealthy and working class Americans. Now, Tesla CEO Elon Musk could set a new standard in CEO pay packages, becoming the first trillionaire CEO after his record breaking pay package was approved in November 2025. Tesla is not alone in this, U.S. mega-cap CEOs like Apple’s Tim Cook, Google’s Sundar Pichai, and Amazon’s Andy Jassy are also seeing their net worth skyrocket, as massive pay packages become the standard across S&P 500 companies. So what is behind these huge pay outs, how do these companies afford them, and is there a payoff or is it just luck?
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
1:13 What’s in a pay package?
4:20 Is there a payoff
8:17 Worker Pay
10:43 The future of compensation
Produced by: Devan Burris
Reporter: Robert Frank
Edited by: Darren Geeter
Animation: Jason Reginato, Emily Park
Camera and Senior Managing Producer: Shawn Baldwin
Additional Footage: Getty, Tesla
» Subscribe to CNBC TV: https://cnb.cx/SubscribeCNBCtelevision
» Watch CNBC on the go with CNBC+: https://www.cnbc.com/WatchCNBCPlus
About CNBC: From ‘Wall Street’ to ‘Main Street’ to award winning original documentaries and Reality TV series, CNBC has you covered. Experience special sneak peeks of your favorite shows, exclusive video and more.
Want to get ahead at work with AI? Sign up for CNBC’s new online course, Beyond the Basics: How to Use AI to Supercharge Your Work. Learn advanced AI skills like building custom GPTs and using AI agents to boost your productivity today. Sign up today: https://cnb.cx/4qKBe6H
Connect with CNBC News Online
Get the latest news: https://www.cnbc.com/
Follow CNBC on LinkedIn: https://cnb.cx/LinkedInCNBC
Follow CNBC News on Instagram: https://cnb.cx/InstagramCNBC
Follow CNBC News on Facebook: https://cnb.cx/LikeCNBC
Follow CNBC on Threads: https://cnb.cx/threads
Follow CNBC News on X: https://cnb.cx/FollowCNBC
Follow CNBC on WhatsApp: https://cnb.cx/WhatsAppCNBC
#CNBC
Will Elon Musk’s Trillion Dollar Pay Package Become The New Norm In The U.S.?
source
