Who is Elon Musk's CFO Vaibhav Taneja? All about ex-Delhi University student who earns more than Satya Nadella, Sundar Pichai
Taneja's journey from Delhi University
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How Taneja started his journey at Tesla?
How Taneja bagged $139.5 million salary?
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Indian-origin executive Vaibhav Taneja , the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Tesla has earned a staggering $139.5 million in total salary for the year 2024, highest in the world for the any CFO.A major chunk of this pay package comes from stock options and equity awards granted following his promotion, far surpassing his base salary of $400,000.The salary pay package exceeded the earnings of Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Google CEO Sundar Pichai, placing Taneja in the spotlight as one of the most highly paid finance executives in corporate history.Vaibhav Taneja's professional journey began in India, where he earned a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Delhi University in 1999. The following year, he became a Chartered Accountant through the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, and in 2006, he added to his credentials by becoming a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in the United States.He spent nearly 17 years at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), working in both India and the U.S., eventually rising to the role of Senior Manager in Assurance. In 2016, Taneja made a pivotal career move by joining SolarCity, a solar energy company that was later acquired by Tesla — marking the start of his journey with the electric vehicle leader.Following the merger of SolarCity with Tesla in 2017, Vaibhav Taneja joined Tesla as Assistant Corporate Controller. His rise within the company was swift: he became Corporate Controller in 2018, was appointed Chief Accounting Officer in 2019, and ascended to the role of Chief Financial Officer in August 2023, succeeding Zach Kirkhorn. In addition to his global responsibilities, Taneja also serves as a director at Tesla India Motors and Energy Private Limited, where he plays a pivotal role in shaping Tesla's expansion strategy in India.Vaibhav Taneja's record-breaking $139.5 million compensation package is primarily stock-based and structured to vest over a four-year period. When the award was granted, Tesla shares were trading around $250. By May 2025, the stock had climbed to $342, significantly increasing the potential value of his compensation.His pay eclipsed Satya Nadella's $79.1 million and Sundar Pichai's $10.7 million in the same year. It also beat the previous CFO compensation record of $86 million set by Nikola's CFO in 2020. This places Taneja in a unique class of corporate executives.
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