

News
Elon Musk unlocks second tranche of bonus, reaches #5 on Forbes “richest” list
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has unlocked the second tranche of his massive bonus structure. Musk’s most recently obtained bonus will allow him to reap a $2.1 billion gain thanks to 1.69 million additional stock options he has received as a part of his compensation package.
After Tesla’s average trailing market value over six months rose above $150 billion on Tuesday, Musk qualified for the second tranche of his compensation, which will allow him to exercise 1.69 million stock options set at a strike price of $350.02.
However, he cannot immediately sell these shares. The CEO’s bonus structure states that he cannot let go of the newly obtain shares for five years, Bloomberg reported.
If he could sell the shares immediately, he would receive $2.1 billion in cash.
On Monday, a nearly 10% gain in stock price shot Musk to the fifth spot on Forbes Billionaire List. Since the beginning of July, the CEO of Tesla has passed real estate and investment tycoon Warren Buffett and former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer on the list.
Musk unlocked the first tranche of his bonus awards in May when Tesla’s average six-month market value was over $100 billion. Since May 1, TSLA stock has more than doubled. It closed at $701.32 on the first trading day in May and closed at $1,568.36 today.
Tesla stocks legendary rally over the past month has catapulted the company’s market capitalization above any other automaker on the planet. The company’s valuation is worth more than Toyota, Volkswagen, and Honda combined.
Musk’s total compensation package is the largest corporate pay deal ever struck between a CEO and a board of directors. The entire package includes 20.3 million options split into twelve different tranches. Each tranche is unlocked after the company meets specific financial goals that depend on massive increases in sales and profits.
Tesla estimates that if Musk meets all of the agreed-upon goals, the twelve tranches could put more than $50 billion in the CEO’s pocket.
The next tranche requires Tesla to reach a six-month average market capitalization of $200 billion, and either post revenue of $35 billion or $3 billion in adjusted earnings before taxes, interest, depreciation, and amortization over four consecutive quarters.
According to Forbes, Musk reached the fifth richest person in the world spot on Monday. He trails Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg in the fourth spot.
News
Tesla AI6 chips will start sample production at surprising Samsung site
AI6 is expected to be used in Tesla’s expanding lineup of high-volume products, such as the Cybercab and Optimus.

It appears that the initial sample production of Tesla’s next-generation AI6 chip would not start in Samsung’s United States-based facilities.
AI6 is expected to be used in Tesla’s expanding lineup of high-volume products, such as the Cybercab and Optimus.
Early AI6 production
As noted in a ZDNet Korea report, the production of initial samples of Tesla’s AI6 chip is expected to start at Samsung Electronics’ domestic foundry and packing facilities in South Korea. Mass production for AI6 chips will follow at the tech giant’s Texas-based foundry in Taylor, which is expected to start operations in 2025. Investment in mass production facilities for the Taylor plant are expected to start this year, the publication noted.
Samsung has reportedly finalized the process design kit for its second-generation 2nm technology. This node offers a 12% performance improvement, 25% lower power consumption, and an 8% reduction in chip area compared to its previous-generation counterparts.
Tesla’s AI6 deal
As per previous reports, Tesla has signed a $16.5 billion contract with Samsung for the production of its AI6 chips. In a post on social media platform X, Musk clarified that $16.5 billion is actually just the bare minimum. Considering that the demand for AI6 chips will be substantial due to the ramp of products such as Optimus and the Cybercab, it would not be farfetched if the deal becomes notably larger in the future.
Musk has shared his excitement for Samsung’s production of AI6 chips, with the CEO stating on X that he would “walk the line personally” in the facility to “accelerate the pace of progress.” In a follow-up comment, the Tesla CEO stated that Samsung is fully aware of what a real partnership with Tesla will be like. “I had a video call with the chairman and senior leadership of Samsung to go over what a real partnership would be like. Use the strengths of both companies to achieve a great outcome,” Musk wrote in his post.
News
Elon Musk’s Boring Company begins Tesla FSD testing in Las Vegas tunnels
The update was shared by Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) CEO Steve Hill.

The Boring Company has started testing Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) system in its Las Vegas tunnels.
The update was shared by Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) CEO Steve Hill in a comment to Fortune.
Controlled FSD testing
In his comments, Hill noted that Tesla’s FSD tests in the Boring Company’s underground tunnels in Las Vegas have been going on for months. However, the full-self driving Teslas have reportedly not been carrying passengers during the tests. Interestingly enough, Hill noted that the FSD-driven vehicles have not had any incidents in the Boring Company tunnels yet, though safety drivers have been required to intervene “periodically.”
Hill further noted that the self-driving Teslas have found some spots that seem quite difficult in the underground tunnels system. The LVCVA CEO added that the rock walls of the Boring Company tunnels and their colorful lighting have created some “interesting but odd lighting” for FSD. That being said, Hill noted that the FSD tests are ongoing, though the LVCVA will likely be a consultant before the self-driving vehicles’ safety drivers are removed.
The executive, however, noted that it will only be a matter of time before the Teslas in Las Vegas’ Boring Company tunnels are operating without a driver. “Sooner or later, this is going to be autonomous,” Hill said.
Vegas Loop updates
The Boring Company’s underground transit system has been operating beneath the Las Vegas Convention Center for about four years. While the network is slated for expansion across more of the city, it currently connects the convention grounds with a handful of nearby hotels. Updates from the Boring Company’s official social media account on X suggests that tunneling is underway across other stops in Las Vegas.
As per the Boring Company on its official website, the greater Vegas Loop, when completed, will have 104 stations across 68 miles of tunnels. This should allow the underground system to serve an estimated 90,000 passengers per hour. It will also be able to connect key locations across the city, such as Harry Reid International Airport, Allegiant Stadium, and downtown.
While the Vegas Loop is nowhere near complete, Hill noted that the system is already well appreciated by residents and visitors. As per the LVCVA CEO, the underground transport system is the “highest rated feature we have” at the Convention Center. “People love it,” he said, adding that the only reason the tunnels are not coming faster is due to holdups with permits. “We’re holding them back. They’re not holding us back,” he stated.
News
Tesla appears to have teased a long-awaited Model Y trim for a Friday launch
The company posted it with its Europe & Middle East account, and it appears to be a Model Y Performance, which has been spotted testing at the famed Nurburgring in Germany.

Tesla appears to have teased a long-awaited Model Y trim for a launch on Friday.
The company posted it with its Europe & Middle East account, and it appears to be a Model Y Performance, which has been spotted testing at the famed Nurburgring in Germany.
Tesla has teased a video of the Model Y Performance from its European X account
We’ve been waiting for this trim of the Model Y for a very long timepic.twitter.com/izXviZKs4X
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) August 27, 2025
The Model Y Performance became a big-time hit after it packed the family-style interior with lightning-fast acceleration, speed, and handling.
As Tesla transitioned the Model Y into the updated “Juniper” design, the company took its time to create an even better vehicle with the new Performance configuration.
It has surely taken its time, but the vehicle appears to have undergone some exterior changes to enhance aerodynamics, handling, and overall performance.
We recently went into what was different about the test units spotted at Nurburgring in an article, but we’ll also list them here:
- New 21″ wheels
- All black headliner, a big change that was included in the Model Y L, the first time a Model Y has had that option
- Updated brakes
- Bucket seats that appear to be similar to the new Model Y L in China
- New Carbon Fiber Spoiler
- Performance Badging
- Changes to both the front and rear bumper
- Suspension with Adaptive Dampers
Tesla Model Y Performance zips around Nurburgring with new features
It does not seem like there’s much else it could be, but it is important to note that Tesla has been developing a handful of affordable models. There is a possibility that Tesla could launch one of these on Friday, but it seems unlikely.
The affordable models will likely be coming to the United States or China before they would in Europe.
They would be developed at Gigafactory Texas or Gigafactory Shanghai. The company stated in its Q2 Earnings Shareholder Deck that it had continued to expand its vehicle offerings and successfully manufactured the first builds of a more affordable model in June.
Volume production is planned for the second half of 2025.
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