Elon Musk says he needs to build his stake in Tesla so much that he could become the world’s first trillionaire. But this week he said his aim wasn’t to increase his planet-leading wealth. Instead, Musk said the biggest pay package in history was necessary to protect his company.

Tesla reported a hefty drop in profits on Wednesday, citing a drag from tariffs and other expenses that more than offset a lift from increased auto sales.

"The margin compression is the real concern. Higher operating expenses, increased tariffs and lower regulatory credit revenue all hit at once," said Farhan Badami, market analyst at eToro.