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特斯拉投资者因马斯克460亿美元薪酬方案发生分歧

AMANDA GERUT
2024-05-23

有投资者认为,特斯拉未来可能面临问题,如此高额的薪酬并不合理。

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特斯拉(Tesla)首席执行官埃隆·马斯克(Elon Musk)。图片来源:PHOTO BY ANTONIO MASIELLO—GETTY IMAGES

特斯拉投资者正游说其他人驳回史上最高薪酬计划。

包括纽约市养老基金在内的团体近日提交了一份公告,敦促其他人在6月13日的特斯拉股东大会上投票反对首席执行官埃隆·马斯克价值460亿美元的股票期权方案。纽约市主计长布拉德-兰德正在发起这项倡议。他在管理着2600亿美元资产的纽约市养老基金中担任投资顾问。

根据他签署的信件,特斯拉董事会“过度听命于”马斯克,当马斯克忽视特斯拉而专注于他在Boring Company、Neuralink、SpaceX、X和其他公司的角色时,董事会也没有费心介入。投资者抱怨马斯克每天只专注于一家公司的事务,把有限的时间分配给了不同的公司。投资者表示:“董事会尚未保证特斯拉有一位全职首席执行官。”

与此同时,他还从特斯拉挖走关键人才。投资者在信中写道:“最近,马斯克开始从特斯拉的人工智能和自动驾驶团队中挖走顶级工程师,为他的新公司xAI服务,其中包括曾在特斯拉担任计算机视觉主管的伊桑·奈特。”

这份公告预示着特斯拉的一些养老基金投资者将在下个月摊牌:其中一些养老基金投资者认为,他们为一位兼职首席执行官支付了过高的薪酬,而这家电动汽车制造商的散户投资者则认为,马斯克是一位有远见的领导者,必须不惜一切代价将他留在特斯拉。关键在于股东是否投票批准马斯克的薪酬计划(目前价值约460亿美元),该计划今年1月被一名法官驳回。特斯拉在春季第二次提出了薪酬计划,并对该提案表示支持。

马斯克通过发推感谢散户的投票支持,并通过特斯拉的广告宣传推动散户投票支持其薪酬计划,赢得了散户投资者的支持。自4月29日以来,特斯拉已经11次通知投资者:马斯克发推公布了关于此次会议的消息,或特斯拉已经更新了专门用于投票的网站,标题为“保护您的投资和特斯拉的未来”。

根据持不同意见的投资者[包括美国合并银行(Amalgamated Bank)、AkademikerPension和SOC Investment Group]的说法,马斯克对股价构成了关键风险,因为他已将持有的20%特斯拉股份的一部分作为贷款抵押品。投资者在信中写道:“如果马斯克被迫出售他质押的股票,可能会导致股价大幅下跌,从而损害股东的利益。”

此外,投资者认为,董事会放任不管意味着马斯克将特斯拉视为自己和其他企业的“金库”。信中称,马斯克承认利用特斯拉工程师解决X[前身为推特(Twitter)]的问题,并辩称,“没有任何特斯拉董事会成员阻止他利用特斯拉员工为其旗下其他公司从事相关工作”。投资者表示,“分心”是特斯拉相对于标准普尔500指数、通用汽车(General Motors)和福特汽车(Ford)表现不佳的重要原因。

然而,特斯拉董事会却不这么认为。特斯拉为支持其薪酬批准投票而建立的网站提供了投票说明和其他有关股东大会的信息,包括一段独立董事会主席罗宾·德霍姆的视频。德霍姆在视频中表示,马斯克的薪酬计划是在10年前制定的,目标是如此“遥不可及和雄心勃勃,以至于怀疑论者嘲笑这一目标不切实际”。

德霍姆说:“如果埃隆没有实现目标,就无权领取薪水、现金奖金和股权。但如果他能够实现这一目标,您和所有其他股东都将从中获益。这一奖励发挥作用了。在5年的时间里,公司营收从118亿美元增长到968亿美元,利润从亏损22亿美元变成了盈利150亿美元。”

事实上,2018年批准马斯克天价薪酬计划的投票取得成功的关键原因之一是,其利害关系与其他首席执行官截然不同。如果马斯克没有达到目标,特斯拉董事会不向其支付任何薪酬,而不是采用所谓的“董事会自由裁量权”,即公司董事仍向未能达到财务指标的首席执行官支付薪酬。

通常情况下,董事会会告诉投资者,他们不想让首席执行官或高管们为经济逆风或其他不可控因素导致其未能实现既定的财务目标或指标负责。不过,董事会必须在自由裁量权与留住高管和首席执行官之间取得平衡。只有在极端情况下,首席执行官才会因为长期奖励而不拿任何薪酬——除了没有薪水、现金奖金或基于时间行权的股票之外——原因是失去高管和破坏公司稳定的风险太高了。

让马斯克的薪酬计划变得复杂的是,投资者可能看到了特斯拉未来面临的问题,而董事会似乎专注于为马斯克过去实现的目标支付薪酬。此外,马斯克的巨额薪酬,以及特斯拉今年的业绩不佳的事实,都增加了问题的复杂性。该公司宣布将裁员10%,甚至取消暑期实习项目,而与此同时,该公司却在投入资源恢复马斯克的天价薪酬计划。众所周知,马斯克本人无视大多数上市公司首席执行官遵守的准则,看起来行事冲动,发推也不考虑后果,而且不与董事会中的独立董事商议,这让投资者忧心忡忡。

除了批准马斯克的薪酬计划,特斯拉还在寻求投资者批准,将公司注册地从特拉华州迁至德克萨斯州,这一改变似乎是受到特拉华州法官对马斯克薪酬的裁决的推动。投票网站称“特拉华州法院已经表明,它将无视我们股东的意愿。我们相信股东的权利,也相信德州法院会尊重我们的权利。”

除了召集其他投资者投票否决马斯克的薪酬外,持不同意见的团体还要求股东们拒绝支持马斯克的弟弟金巴尔·马斯克和前二十一世纪福克斯(21st Century Fox)首席执行官詹姆斯·默多克连任。金巴尔已在董事会任职20年,而默多克是马斯克的朋友。投资者们表示,这两人都不是真正的独立董事。(财富中文网)

译者:中慧言-王芳

特斯拉投资者正游说其他人驳回史上最高薪酬计划。

包括纽约市养老基金在内的团体近日提交了一份公告,敦促其他人在6月13日的特斯拉股东大会上投票反对首席执行官埃隆·马斯克价值460亿美元的股票期权方案。纽约市主计长布拉德-兰德正在发起这项倡议。他在管理着2600亿美元资产的纽约市养老基金中担任投资顾问。

根据他签署的信件,特斯拉董事会“过度听命于”马斯克,当马斯克忽视特斯拉而专注于他在Boring Company、Neuralink、SpaceX、X和其他公司的角色时,董事会也没有费心介入。投资者抱怨马斯克每天只专注于一家公司的事务,把有限的时间分配给了不同的公司。投资者表示:“董事会尚未保证特斯拉有一位全职首席执行官。”

与此同时,他还从特斯拉挖走关键人才。投资者在信中写道:“最近,马斯克开始从特斯拉的人工智能和自动驾驶团队中挖走顶级工程师,为他的新公司xAI服务,其中包括曾在特斯拉担任计算机视觉主管的伊桑·奈特。”

这份公告预示着特斯拉的一些养老基金投资者将在下个月摊牌:其中一些养老基金投资者认为,他们为一位兼职首席执行官支付了过高的薪酬,而这家电动汽车制造商的散户投资者则认为,马斯克是一位有远见的领导者,必须不惜一切代价将他留在特斯拉。关键在于股东是否投票批准马斯克的薪酬计划(目前价值约460亿美元),该计划今年1月被一名法官驳回。特斯拉在春季第二次提出了薪酬计划,并对该提案表示支持。

马斯克通过发推感谢散户的投票支持,并通过特斯拉的广告宣传推动散户投票支持其薪酬计划,赢得了散户投资者的支持。自4月29日以来,特斯拉已经11次通知投资者:马斯克发推公布了关于此次会议的消息,或特斯拉已经更新了专门用于投票的网站,标题为“保护您的投资和特斯拉的未来”。

根据持不同意见的投资者[包括美国合并银行(Amalgamated Bank)、AkademikerPension和SOC Investment Group]的说法,马斯克对股价构成了关键风险,因为他已将持有的20%特斯拉股份的一部分作为贷款抵押品。投资者在信中写道:“如果马斯克被迫出售他质押的股票,可能会导致股价大幅下跌,从而损害股东的利益。”

此外,投资者认为,董事会放任不管意味着马斯克将特斯拉视为自己和其他企业的“金库”。信中称,马斯克承认利用特斯拉工程师解决X[前身为推特(Twitter)]的问题,并辩称,“没有任何特斯拉董事会成员阻止他利用特斯拉员工为其旗下其他公司从事相关工作”。投资者表示,“分心”是特斯拉相对于标准普尔500指数、通用汽车(General Motors)和福特汽车(Ford)表现不佳的重要原因。

然而,特斯拉董事会却不这么认为。特斯拉为支持其薪酬批准投票而建立的网站提供了投票说明和其他有关股东大会的信息,包括一段独立董事会主席罗宾·德霍姆的视频。德霍姆在视频中表示,马斯克的薪酬计划是在10年前制定的,目标是如此“遥不可及和雄心勃勃,以至于怀疑论者嘲笑这一目标不切实际”。

德霍姆说:“如果埃隆没有实现目标,就无权领取薪水、现金奖金和股权。但如果他能够实现这一目标,您和所有其他股东都将从中获益。这一奖励发挥作用了。在5年的时间里,公司营收从118亿美元增长到968亿美元,利润从亏损22亿美元变成了盈利150亿美元。”

事实上,2018年批准马斯克天价薪酬计划的投票取得成功的关键原因之一是,其利害关系与其他首席执行官截然不同。如果马斯克没有达到目标,特斯拉董事会不向其支付任何薪酬,而不是采用所谓的“董事会自由裁量权”,即公司董事仍向未能达到财务指标的首席执行官支付薪酬。

通常情况下,董事会会告诉投资者,他们不想让首席执行官或高管们为经济逆风或其他不可控因素导致其未能实现既定的财务目标或指标负责。不过,董事会必须在自由裁量权与留住高管和首席执行官之间取得平衡。只有在极端情况下,首席执行官才会因为长期奖励而不拿任何薪酬——除了没有薪水、现金奖金或基于时间行权的股票之外——原因是失去高管和破坏公司稳定的风险太高了。

让马斯克的薪酬计划变得复杂的是,投资者可能看到了特斯拉未来面临的问题,而董事会似乎专注于为马斯克过去实现的目标支付薪酬。此外,马斯克的巨额薪酬,以及特斯拉今年的业绩不佳的事实,都增加了问题的复杂性。该公司宣布将裁员10%,甚至取消暑期实习项目,而与此同时,该公司却在投入资源恢复马斯克的天价薪酬计划。众所周知,马斯克本人无视大多数上市公司首席执行官遵守的准则,看起来行事冲动,发推也不考虑后果,而且不与董事会中的独立董事商议,这让投资者忧心忡忡。

除了批准马斯克的薪酬计划,特斯拉还在寻求投资者批准,将公司注册地从特拉华州迁至德克萨斯州,这一改变似乎是受到特拉华州法官对马斯克薪酬的裁决的推动。投票网站称“特拉华州法院已经表明,它将无视我们股东的意愿。我们相信股东的权利,也相信德州法院会尊重我们的权利。”

除了召集其他投资者投票否决马斯克的薪酬外,持不同意见的团体还要求股东们拒绝支持马斯克的弟弟金巴尔·马斯克和前二十一世纪福克斯(21st Century Fox)首席执行官詹姆斯·默多克连任。金巴尔已在董事会任职20年,而默多克是马斯克的朋友。投资者们表示,这两人都不是真正的独立董事。(财富中文网)

译者:中慧言-王芳

Tesla investors are lobbying to shoot down the largest moonshot compensation plan in history.

A group including the New York City pension funds filed a notice on Monday urging others to vote against Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s $46 billion stock-option package at the company’s shareholder meeting on June 13. New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, who serves as investment advisor to the city’s funds with $260 billion in assets, is marshaling the charge.

According to the letter he signed, the Tesla board is “overly beholden” to Musk and hasn’t bothered to step in when Musk ignores Tesla to focus on his roles at the Boring Company, Neuralink, SpaceX, X, and other companies. The investors complained about Musk splitting his time between the companies by focusing on one company per day. “The board has yet to ensure that Tesla has a full-time CEO,” investors said.

Meanwhile, he’s siphoning key talent away from Tesla. “More recently, Musk has begun poaching top engineers from Tesla’s AI and autonomy team for his new company, xAI, including Ethan Knight, who was computer vision chief at Tesla,” the investor letter said.

The notice has the makings of a showdown next month between some of Tesla’s pension fund investors, who believe they’re overpaying for a part-time CEO, and the EV maker’s base of individual retail investors who see Musk as a visionary leader who must remain at Tesla at all costs. At stake is a shareholder vote to ratify Musk’s pay plan, now valued at about $46 billion, after it was rescinded by a judge in January. Tesla proposed the pay plan a second time in the spring, and has thrown its support behind the proposal.

Musk has rallied the retail base of support with tweets thanking them for voting and Tesla’s own ads promoting a vote in favor of Musk’s pay plan. Since April 29, Tesla has notified investors 11 separate times that Musk has tweeted about the meeting or that it has updated its website devoted to the vote, titled “Protecting Your Investment and Tesla’s Future.”

According to the dissident investors, which include Amalgamated Bank, AkademikerPension, and SOC Investment Group, Musk represents a key risk to stock values because he has pledged a portion of his 20% stake in Tesla as collateral for loans. “If Musk were ever forced to sell his pledged stock, it could lead to a massive drop in stock price to the detriment of shareholders,” the investor letter said.

Plus, the hands-off nature of the board means Musk treats Tesla “as a coffer” for himself and his other businesses, the investors argue. Musk has admitted to using Tesla engineers to work on issues at X, formerly Twitter, and defended himself by saying that “no Tesla board member had stopped him from using Tesla staff for his other businesses,” according to the letter. Those “distractions” have played a material role in Tesla’s underperformance relative to the S&P 500, General Motors, and Ford, investors said.

The Tesla board begs to differ, however. The website Tesla set up to support its pay-ratification vote features voting instructions and other information about the shareholder meeting, including a video with independent board chair Robyn Denholm. In it, Denholm said Musk’s comp plan was set up a decade ago with targets so “far-fetched, so extraordinarily ambitious that skeptics called them laughingly impossible.”

“If he failed, Elon was entitled to receive no salary, no cash bonuses, and no equity,” said Denholm. “But if Elon was able to make it happen, you and all other stockholders would reap the benefits. The award worked.” In half the time, Musk grew revenues from $11.8 billion to $96.8 billion, and turned profitability from $2.2 billion in the red to a $15 billion profit, Denholm said.

Indeed, one of the key reasons the vote to ratify Musk’s moonshot pay plan succeeded in 2018 was because the stakes were markedly different from other CEOs. The Tesla board was prepared to pay Musk $0 if he didn’t hit the targets, rather than applying what is known as so-called “board discretion,” where corporate directors still pay CEOs who have failed to hit financial markers.

Oftentimes, boards tell investors they don’t want to hold CEOs or executives responsible for economic headwinds or other factors out of their control that contributed to them missing stated financial targets or goals. Although, boards must balance the need for discretion with the need to keep executives and CEOs in their roles. Only in an extreme case would a CEO take home no pay for a long-term award—in addition to no salary, cash bonus or time-based stock—because the risk of losing the executive and destabilizing the company would be too high.

What makes Musk’s pay plan complicated is that investors likely see troubles ahead for Tesla, while the board appears to be focused on paying Musk for the targets he achieved in the past. Further, the magnitude of his pay and the fact that Tesla’s performance has struggled this year has added to the complexity. The company announced it would lay off 10% of its staff and even slashed its summer internship program, all while the company is devoting resources to reinstating Musk’s moonshot. Musk himself famously ignores the norms most publicly traded company CEOs abide by and appears to act—and tweet—impulsively and without conferring with the independent directors on the board, which does little to reassure investors.

In addition to ratifying his pay plan, Tesla is seeking investor approval to move from being incorporated in Delaware to Texas, a change that seems motivated by the Delaware judge’s ruling on Musk’s pay. According to the voting website: “The Delaware Court has shown that it will ignore the will of our stockholders. We believe in stockholder rights. We believe Texas Courts will respect those rights.”

In addition to rallying other investors to vote down Musk’s pay, the dissident group is asking shareholders to withhold support from Musk’s brother, Kimbal Musk, and former 21st Century Fox CEO James Murdoch. Kimbal has served on the board for 20 years, and Murdoch is Musk’s friend. Neither is truly independent, the investors said.

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