Background
Elon Musk has been the CEO of Tesla (TSLA) since 2008, with a brief period as Executive Chairman. Tesla has never paid a dividend to its shareholders. For some of its history, Tesla has not made profits, for other parts profits have been reinvested into growth initiatives, research and development, and expansion. Musk's compensation is primarily through stock options rather than a traditional salary, which aligns his incentives with increasing Tesla's stock price. His leadership is widely considered integral to Tesla's strategic direction and market valuation.
Resolution Criteria
This market will resolve when one of the following conditions are met:
Elon Musk is no longer the CEO of Tesla (he must fully leave the CEO position, not just take on an additional role while remaining CEO)
Tesla pays its first-ever cash dividend to common stockholders
The market will resolve NA if Tesla becomes a private company while Musk is still CEO, before paying its first dividend. For clarity, only cash dividends paid to common stockholders will count - stock splits, stock dividends, or special one-time distributions that are not formally declared as dividends will not qualify. I will extend the deadline in the unlikely event that neither resolution criteria is reached within the allotted time.
1,000