This Tesla Executive Earned More Than Satya Nadella, Sundar Pichai In 2024

Tesla's Indian-origin Chief Financial Officer, Vaibhav Taneja, earned $139 million (around Rs 1,157 crore) in 2024. His pay package, driven largely by stock options and equity awards post his 2023 promotion, has eclipsed the earnings of several top tech CEOs.

Mr Taneja's base salary stood at $400,000 (Rs 3.33 crore), but the total compensation far exceeded that of Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, who earned $79.1 million (Rs 658 crore), and Alphabet Chief Sundar Pichai, who took home $10.73 million (Rs 89 crore).

The 47-year-old executive, who joined Tesla in 2017, benefited from a rising stock price, up from around $250 (Rs 20,800) at the time of the award to $342 (Rs 28,400) by May 19, 2025. Despite falling EV deliveries and profits, Tesla's stock growth significantly boosted its equity-based pay.

Mr Taneja's payout now ranks among the highest ever for a CFO, beating the previous record of $86 million (Rs 715 crore) set by Nikola's CFO in 2020, before the company filed for bankruptcy in 2024.

Who Is Vaibhav Taneja?

1. Vaibhav Taneja is a Chartered Accountant. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Delhi, as per his LinkedIn.
2. Mr Taneja worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in both India and the United States for 17 years (1999-2016).
3. In March 2016, Mr Taneja joined SolarCity Corporation, a solar energy company. At SolarCity, he served as Vice President and later as Corporate Controller. Tesla acquired SolarCity in the same year, after which Mr Taneja led the successful integration of the accounting teams of both companies.
4. He joined Tesla in 2017, starting as Assistant Corporate Controller and serving as Tesla's Corporate Controller in 2018. In 2019, he was promoted to Chief Accounting Officer at Tesla.
5. In 2021, Vaibhav Taneja was appointed as the director of Tesla India Motors and Energy Private Limited, Tesla's Indian subsidiary. He was appointed Tesla's Chief Financial Officer (CFO) in August 2023.