What Percentage of Tesla Does Elon Musk Own? Inside the Company’s Breakdown
Elon Musk became chairman of Tesla in 2004 after leading the first round of funding for the company, which led him to being named the CEO in 2008.
Published March 28 2025, 1:34 p.m. ET
Ranked as the richest person in the world, Elon Musk has multiple business ventures that contribute to his wealth, including automotive and clean energy company Tesla — but many may be surprised to learn how much of the company he actually owns.
Musk became the chairman of Tesla in 2004 after leading the first round of funding for the company. That endeavor led him to being named as Tesla’s chief executive officer in 2008, a position he has held ever since.
What percentage of Tesla does Elon Musk own?
According to Forbes, as of March 2025, Musk owns around 12 percent of Tesla, excluding stock options. However, he has pledged over half of his shares of the company as collateral for personal loans that total up to $3.5 billion.
Additionally, in 2024, Musk's 2018 deal to receive options totaling an extra 9 percent of Tesla was declared void by a Delaware judge. In response to the ruling, Musk filed an appeal, according to the outlet.
Why is Tesla at the center of boycotts and vandalism?
Since being named the head of DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) in Republican Donald Trump’s current administration, Musk (along with Trump) has been at the center of consistent and ever-increasing backlash and criticism.
Those against the executive orders have taken to demonstrating their frustrations by boycotting and vandalizing Teslas in an act of resistance. Per Axios, there are over 200 planned protests against Tesla set for March 29, 2025, and over 500 that are planned worldwide.
What has Musk said about the Tesla backlash?
In a March 2025 interview with Fox News, Musk laid the blame on Democrats. "It's really come as quite a shock to me that there is this level of real hatred and violence from the left," he said.
"I thought the left, you know, Democrats, were supposed to be the party of empathy, the party of caring. And yet they're burning down cars. They're firebombing dealerships. They're firing bullets into dealerships. They're just smashing up Teslas."
"It turns out when you take away the money they're receiving fraudulently, they get very upset. And they, they basically want to kill me because I'm stopping their fraud. And they want to hurt Tesla because we're stopping the terrible waste and corruption in the government," Elon continued.
Tesla owners are trying to get rid of their cars in large numbers.
In addition to the backlash, boycotts, and plummeting stock prices of Teslas, many owners are now trying to sell the vehicles that were once one of the hottest status symbols.
Just three months into 2025, listings for used Teslas have increased by 33 percent, according to Business Insider. Industry analysts from Cox Automotive told the outlet that owners listing Teslas jumped from 8,500 in January to 11,515 by March 16.
"It's undeniable that Elon Musk is an influential factor whose actions are impacting the brand's image and sales, and only time will tell if Tesla can successfully navigate this critical juncture and find a new engine for growth," said Stephanie Valdez Streaty, Cox Automotive's director of industry insights.