The amount that Elon Musk reportedly pays his employees at Tesla has been revealed.

The tech mogul is the richest man in the world, with a net worth of a whopping $400 billion.

In fact, he’s so rich that Musk has been predicted to become the first ever trillionaire by around 2027.

A founding employee of SpaceX shared his experience working with Elon Musk (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC/Getty Images)

A founding employee of SpaceX shared his experience working with Elon Musk (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC/Getty Images)

His leadership of Tesla hasn’t been without controversy.

As the world turns more to remote working, Musk has been vocal against it, saying that if staff were against returning to the office then ‘they should pretend to work somewhere else’.

In an interview with Insider, Jim Cantrell, who was one of the founding employees at SpaceX shared what it was like to work with Musk.

He said: “Working with Elon was like working with two different people: the good Elon and the bad Elon, and you never knew which you were going to get.”

According to Cantrell, ‘good Elon’ was fun and had big ideas but ‘bad Elon’ came with a lot of yelling.

And now we’ve found out just how much his employees are compensated.

According to a report by Business Insider, the majority of Musk’s workforce at Tesla makes between $85,000 as a logistics analyst and $175,000 as a software development engineer.

It doesn’t seem like everyone is thrilled by it though, with some people who claim to know people who work for Tesla taking to social media to share their thoughts.

On Reddit, one user wrote: “I know a bunch of people at work there, 50 hours a week minimum for engineers, high stress, high turnover, etc.”

It has been revealed how much Tesla employees make (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

And another added: “A friend of mine who was on the vehicle team had to leave last year due to the insane hours.”

Cantrell went on to say: “Elon wouldn’t expect you to do anything he wouldn’t do, but the lengths he’s willing to go is unusual for most people. I suspect the same thing will happen at Twitter.”

Musk previously revealed that he’d cut about 80% of the workforce at X, formerly Twitter, when he took over the social media platform.

But it does seem like the remaining employees are on a great salary.

According to data collected from Glassdoor and Indeed, directors and group managers make over $235,000 while data scientists make around $267,000.

Analysts at X make around $135,000.

In 2023, an email to X staff was leaked where Musk had offered out stock grants to his employees.

The value of these shares equal a massive $20 billion.

In the email, Musk wrote: “I see a clear, but difficult, path to a >$250B valuation, meaning stock granted now would be worth ten times more.”

Elon Musk’s Tesla Pay Revealed: High Salaries, Long Hours, and Controversy Behind the Scenes

Elon Musk, the world’s richest man with a staggering net worth of $400 billion, has long been a figure of fascination and controversy. As the head of Tesla, Musk has revolutionized the electric vehicle industry, but recent revelations about how much he pays his employees are sparking heated debate.

According to a recent Business Insider report, Tesla employees’ salaries range widely, with logistics analysts earning around $85,000 and software development engineers making up to $175,000. Directors and group managers bring in over $235,000, while data scientists can earn approximately $267,000 per year. These figures, compiled from sources like Glassdoor and Indeed, paint a picture of a highly compensated workforce—at least on paper.

Yet, not everyone is satisfied. Social media platforms like Reddit have become sounding boards for employees and their friends, sharing stories of grueling hours and high stress. “I know a bunch of people at work there, 50 hours a week minimum for engineers, high stress, high turnover, etc.,” one user wrote. Another recounted how a friend on the vehicle team left due to “insane hours.” The demanding work culture appears to be a hallmark of Musk’s leadership style.

Jim Cantrell, a founding employee at SpaceX, offered insight into what it’s like to work for Musk. “Working with Elon was like working with two different people: the good Elon and the bad Elon, and you never knew which you were going to get,” Cantrell told Insider. He described “good Elon” as fun and visionary, but “bad Elon” as intense and prone to yelling. “Elon wouldn’t expect you to do anything he wouldn’t do, but the lengths he’s willing to go is unusual for most people,” Cantrell added.

Musk’s hard-driving approach extends beyond Tesla. After acquiring Twitter (now X), he reportedly cut about 80% of the workforce, yet offered lucrative stock grants to remaining employees. A leaked 2023 email revealed Musk’s vision for a $250 billion valuation, promising that today’s stock grants could be worth ten times more in the future.

Despite the high pay and the lure of stock options, life at Tesla and Musk’s other companies is not for the faint of heart. The combination of generous compensation and relentless expectations continues to fuel debate about whether working for the world’s richest man is a dream job—or a high-stress gamble. As Musk’s empire grows, so too does the scrutiny on how he treats those who help build it.