Investors voted overwhelmingly to reinstate the C.E.O.’s multibillion-dollar compensation package, inextricably tying the car maker’s future to the tech billionaire.
The vote is seen as a referendum on the limits of executive pay and the accountability of Silicon Valley billionaires.
The company’s directors are asking shareholders to again approve the multibillion-dollar compensation plan and to move the company’s registration to Texas, from Delaware.
Robyn Denholm, who has led the electric car company’s board for more than five years, has been criticized for not serving as a check on Mr. Musk.
The company’s board of directors will now decide whether to appeal the decision, change where Tesla is incorporated or negotiate a new pay package.
Shareholders had sued, arguing that Mr. Musk’s compensation — which helped make him the world’s richest person — was excessive.
Investors blame Elon Musk and wonder how much more the stock will fall.
Corporate governance experts say the electric-car maker’s directors may need to rein in the chief executive, with whom many have personal ties.
A shareholder is asking the court to void a 2018 compensation package that has paid the chief executive nearly $50 billion.