Rome – Vatican
A new pope, Leo XIV, has publicly voiced his concern over the proposed trillion-dollar pay package for Elon Musk, stating, “We’re in big trouble.” The comments from the first-ever American pontiff came in his first media interview since being elected in May 2025.
A Critique of Economic Inequality
In excerpts of the interview published by Catholic news outlet Crux, Pope Leo XIV addressed what he called the “continuously wider gap between the income levels of the working class and the money that the wealthiest receive.” The pontiff highlighted the growing disparity by noting that CEOs who once made only a few times more than their workers now make hundreds of times more. He then directly referenced the unprecedented compensation plan for Elon Musk, which could make him the world’s first trillionaire. “If that is the only thing that has value anymore, then we’re in big trouble,” he warned. The remarks reflect the new pope’s focus on social justice and economic inequality, a core theme of Catholic social teaching.
The Details of Musk’s Pay Package
The pay package, proposed by Tesla’s board, is a performance-based incentive plan that could be worth approximately $1 trillion. To earn the full amount, the Tesla CEO would need to achieve a series of ambitious operational and financial targets over the next decade. These goals include increasing Tesla’s market capitalization from just over $1 trillion to $8.5 trillion, a staggering sum that would make it the world’s most valuable company. The deal has been described by some as a “superhuman effort” with “impossible goals,” but has been criticized by others, including U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, as “obscene.”
Pope’s Comments Follow a PR Stunt
Pope Leo XIV’s comments came just a day after a drone show, staged by a company led by Musk’s brother, Kimbal Musk, flew over the Vatican. The show used 3,000 drones to form images from the Sistine Chapel, including the face of the new pontiff’s predecessor, Pope Francis. While the drone show may have been intended as a gesture of goodwill, the pope’s critical remarks on the day after indicate a divergence of values between the Vatican and some of the world’s wealthiest individuals.
