How Much of Tesla Does Elon Musk Own in 2025?
Elon Musk remains as the largest shareholder in Tesla, with 410 million shares, he holds 12.8% according to Investopedia in 2025. Despite the recent dips Tesla has taken Elon Musk remains the CEO and largest shareholder in Tesla.
Musk’s stake in Tesla is currently valued at around $92.6 billion. His ownership has seen a decline over time, partly due to share sales to fund other ventures like SpaceX and X (formerly Twitter). Additionally, his 2018 compensation package, which could have added 9% more shares, was voided by a Delaware judge in early 2024. Musk is appealing this ruling, and if reinstated, his ownership percentage could rise again.
Elon Musk's 2018 Compensation Package
In 2018 Elon Musk was offered a compensation package worth $56 billion, this was tied to specific performance milestones but later rejected by a Delaware Judge due to procedural laws. CNBC reports this as the largest compensation package for a U.S. history for a public company executive. So, of course Elon Musk wants his $56 billion on top of his already extremely thick wallet and is bidding for this to be reinstated. He has had no luck as of yet and although he really doesn't need and doesn't really deserve it this year after shares have dropped drastically, largely due to his public presence we're sure he'll keep pushing.
Related: Who Will Be the Next Tesla CEO After Elon Musk?
Related: Elon Musk’s First Month in Politics and Its Impact on Tesla
Who Else Has Major Shares of Tesla?
Besides Elon Musk, Tesla has several key institutional and individual shareholders:
- Vanguard Group – Holds around 7% to 8% of Tesla’s shares.
- BlackRock – Owns about 5% to 6% of the company.
- State Street Global Advisors – Controls roughly 3% of Tesla.
- Other Institutional Investors – Various mutual funds and pension funds hold smaller but significant stakes.
Musk also has shares pledged as collateral for personal loans, estimated to be worth $3.5 billion, which could impact his overall control.
Who Is the Real Owner of Tesla?
Tesla is a publicly traded company, meaning no single entity has complete ownership. However, Elon Musk is the most influential shareholder, given his substantial stake and role as CEO. His leadership and vision have shaped Tesla into one of the world’s leading EV manufacturers.
Despite Elon Musk's role as CEO and his majority share offering him the most control, Musk did not create the company he was actually their 4th CEO when he came to the position in 2008 according to CNBC. Tesla was founded by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning who had a vision for electric vehicles and later brought Musk on board.
Martin Eberhard
Conclusion
Despite Elon Musk becoming a controversial figure over the recent years, he has made Tesla the successful company it is in 2025. His early investments and facilitating the mass production of niche luxury cars put Tesla on the map. As the largest shareholder and the CEO of Tesla, Musk is the face of the company which explains the decreasing stock value. Elon Musk should be reinvesting his time into Tesla and pushing away the distractions of government duties and public appearances he has taken on. Did he really think that was going to do his business any good?
