Tesla’s board has established a special committee to evaluate CEO Elon Musk’s pay package. The move comes as the company navigates a pivotal shift in its strategic direction.

According to the Financial Times, the new committee could craft a new stock options package. The committee, comprising Tesla board Chair Robyn Denholm and independent director Kathleen Wilson-Thompson, is tasked with reviewing Musk’s compensation, noted sources familiar with the matter.

The group will explore alternative compensation methods for Musk’s past contributions if the 2018 $56 billion pay package is not reinstated. Any new stock options would be tied to Tesla meeting financial, operational, and share price targets. Musk’s 2018 pay package is currently under appeal.

Last month, Tesla disclosed the formation of a special committee to address compensation matters involving Musk, though details were sparse. In March 2025, Musk appealed to restore his record-breaking $56 billion compensation, arguing that Delaware Chancery Court Judge Kathleen McCormick made “multiple legal errors” in rescinding it. The appeal began on March 11, 2025. Musk along with current and former Tesla directors are challenging McCormick’s application of the entire fairness standard in her ruling.

Tesla is at a crossroads as it pushes forward with robotaxis and humanoid robots. This shift repositions Tesla as an AI and robotics leader rather than a traditional automaker. Elon Musk is Tesla’s largest shareholder, holding a 13% stake. Earlier this month, Denholm refuted a Wall Street Journal report suggesting the board was seeking a replacement for Musk, reaffirming his central role in the company.

The committee’s review underscores Tesla’s efforts to align Musk’s compensation with its evolving goals amid legal and strategic challenges. As the appeal progresses and Tesla doubles down on AI-driven innovation, the outcome could shape the company’s leadership and market trajectory. With Musk’s vision steering Tesla toward uncharted territory, the compensation debate highlights the high stakes of balancing shareholder value with transformative ambition.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirmed during the Saudi-U.S. Investment Forum on Tuesday that the company’s Robotaxi platform would eventually land in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, essentially confirming the intention to grow a driverless fleet of vehicles outside of the United States.

This is the first time Musk has specifically confirmed Tesla’s intention to expand into Saudi Arabia, although based on the company’s plans, a global expansion is more expected than a confined Robotaxi platform that is limited to only the West.

Musk confirmed during the Investment Forum, where the U.S. agreed with the Saudis to a $600 billion investment pledge, that Robotaxi would eventually expand to the country. The CEO did not mention a specific timeframe, but Tesla is set to launch the Robotaxi platform in Austin, Texas, in June.

“Really, you can think of cars, or future cars, as being robots on four wheels. I think it will be very exciting to have autonomous vehicles here in the Kingdom, if you’re amenable.”

🚨 Tesla Robotaxi will be available in Saudi Arabia, Elon Musk confirms:

“You heard it here from Elon! He’s bringing Robotaxi to the Kingdom.” pic.twitter.com/3IeaZezYb8

— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) May 13, 2025

As Tesla’s Full Self-Driving suite is still supervised, it is expanding to other parts of the globe. Earlier this year, it made its way to China for the first time ever, with many giving rave reviews of the driver assistance platform.

Tesla plans to expand to Europe later this year, but the company is still awaiting regulatory approval from EU agencies, something that will likely take some time to complete.

The big takeaway is that the Robotaxi platform is not confined to a single model, like the Cybercab. Instead, Robotaxi could be any Tesla vehicle, as long as it is capable of unsupervised Full Self-Driving. This is something that will require Tesla to work with local authorities to first launch a Supervised version of the suite, which could then expand to the unsupervised FSD platform, enabling a Robotaxi network in the country.

Nevertheless, Tesla’s relationship with the Middle East seems to be good. The company recently launched the Cybertruck in Saudi Arabia, enabling customer orders just last month.

Tesla confirms Cybertruck will make its way out of North America this year

Additionally, Musk’s Starlink was recently given approval for both maritime and aviation use cases, expanding the relationship between the country and the CEO. This was also confirmed during the Investment Forum today.

Elon Musk recently shared a Tesla Optimus dance video, showcasing the humanoid robot’s light feet and the company’s quick progress.

In 2021, Tesla announced it would develop a humanoid robot during AI Day. At the time, the company didn’t even have a prototype. To celebrate the announcement, a human dressed as a humanoid robot came out and danced for the crowd at the event. Fast forward a few years, and Tesla’s Optimus bot finally has some moves to show off.

The first time anyone got a real preview of Optimus was in 2022, when Tesla debuted semi-functional prototypes at AI Day. One Tesla Optimus bot walked on stage while another performed some arm movements. At the time, critics noted the Tesla Optimus bot’s reliance on teleoperation for some tasks.

By 2023, Tesla unveiled Optiumus Gen 2, demonstrating advanced tasks like sorting colored blocks, maintaining yoga poses, and some dancing. Tesla also noted that the robot’s hands improved to 11 degrees of freedom (DoF). Tesla Optimus hands in production units have 22 degrees of freedom.

Late last year, Tesla Optimus robots attended the company’s “We, Robot” event, performing tasks like serving drinks and interacting with people in the crowds. Teslarati played rock, paper, scissors with Optimus at “We, Robot.” The Tesla bots danced in synchronicity at the event with their arms and torsos.

Tesla’s progress with Optimus has been quite a ride over the past few years. Now Optimus can add to its dance moves with more flexibility and control over its legs. The recent Tesla Optimus dance video marks the beginning of the next phase for the humanoid robot: production.

According to Tesla’s Q1 2025 updated letter, the company has already started limited production of the Optimus bot at Tesla’s Fremont Factory. Elon Musk announced plans to produce over 1,000 units of Tesla Optimus for internal use in 2025 and external sales by 2026.

Elon Musk claims Tesla Optimus could be “more significant than Tesla’s vehicle business,” with a potential market value of $25 trillion. By automating low-skill, repetitive jobs, the Tesla bot could reshape economies, which Musk believes could lead to an “age of abundance” where goods and services are cheaper.