Cathie Woodโ Condemns Proxy Firm Recommendations against Elon Musk‘s Pay Package
WILMINGTON, DE – โฃOctober 20, 2024 – โฃCathie โคWood, CEO of Arkโฃ Investment Management, sharply criticized proxy advisoryโฃ firms Glass โLewis and Institutional Shareholder โServices (ISS) Mondayโข for recommending shareholders reject Elon Musk’sโ proposed $1 trillion pay package. The package, which would potentially award musk $56 billion over 10 years-previously approved by shareholders inโค 2018 onโ two separate occasions-is currentlyโข up for revote following a Delaware court ruling.
Wood’s statementโ alleges the firms are failing to consider the prior shareholder โapprovals. Both ISS and Glass Lewis had previouslyโข recommended against the 2018 pay package.
“Glass Lewis’s one-size-fits-all checklists undermine shareholders’ interests, including by opposing proposals designed to โbuild long-term value at Tesla,”โ the โstatement read.
Representatives from Glass Lewis andโค ISS referredโฃ inquiries to their respective proxy papers on Tesla.
prior to โthe firms’ reports, the SOC Investment Group, representing pension โขfunds sponsored by unions like the โฃInternational โคBrotherhood ofโข Teamsters,โ alongside other Teslaโ stakeholdersโข including state financialโ officers, submittedโ a letter toโค the Securities โand Exchange Commission urging shareholders to vote against the โpackage. The โletter warned that โapproval of the pay package and reelection of three board members couldโค diminish shareholder influence due to anticipated stock dilution.
Tejal โPatel, โexecutive director of SOC โคInvestmentโ Group, questioned the necessity of further incentivizingโ Musk, noting his existingโค ample stake in Tesla, which comprisesโข the majority โof his $455 billionโฃ net worth.โ SOC hasโ consistently voicedโ criticism regarding Musk’s compensation packages.
“We just don’t believe โthat these pay packages are going to reallyโข incentivize โMr. musk to stay at Tesla,โ nor to be focused on Tesla over his other business endeavors,” Patel told Fortune.
Despite the proxy firm recommendations, โฃWood expressedโ confidence โขin theโฃ package’s approval, citing the โคanticipated support of retail investors who โฃcollectively hold approximately 40% of Tesla’s voting shares.
“Although the โproxy firm โขISS has recommended against the package,retail investors โare likely to dominate the vote once โฃagain. โคAmerica!” Wood stated.