Tesla has recently granted Senior Vice President of Automotive, Tom Zhu, over 520,000 stock options, aligning a significant portion of his compensation with the company’s long-term performance. This generous equity award was disclosed in a recent regulatory filing by the electric vehicle maker.
The Form 4 filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission revealed that Tom Zhu received 520,021 stock options with an exercise price of $435.80 per share. These stock options will not fully vest until March 5, 2031, meaning Zhu must remain with Tesla for over five years to realize the full benefit of the award. Currently, Tesla shares are trading at around $445 to $450 per share, indicating that Zhu will only see gains in his equity award if the stock price experiences a significant rise in the coming years.
Even at today’s prices, Zhu’s stock award is already valued at over $230 million. If Tesla meets the market cap targets outlined in Elon Musk’s 2025 CEO Performance Award, Zhu could potentially become a billionaire solely from this equity award.
Tom Zhu joined Tesla in April 2014 and initially led the company’s Supercharger rollout in China. Over the years, he played a crucial role in Tesla’s localization efforts in China, expanding retail and service networks, and overseeing the development of Gigafactory Shanghai. His contributions have been instrumental in transforming China into one of Tesla’s key markets and production hubs.
In 2023, Zhu was promoted to Senior Vice President of Automotive, solidifying his position as one of Tesla’s core global executives. Known as the company’s problem solver, Zhu has been tasked by Elon Musk to assist in ramping up vehicle production at Giga Texas. Tesla’s recent filing indicates that the company is securing its top talent as it embarks on its most ambitious era yet.
Elon Musk’s 2025 pay package targets aim to make Tesla the world’s largest company by market cap and achieve unprecedented production levels. With Zhu’s proven track record and problem-solving abilities, his expertise will be invaluable as Tesla pursues these ambitious goals. The company is clearly positioning itself for growth and success, and Zhu’s leadership will play a vital role in driving Tesla forward into the future.