--- title: "Bad News, Your 401K Is Tanking, Good News, Elon Musk Is About to Make Bank" description: "Analysts expect 2022 to be a financial boon for Tesla — and that means its CEO Elon Musk could net billions of dollars in stock awards." date: "2022-01-25" modified: "2022-01-25" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/economy-elon-musk-richer" categories: - "Elon Musk" - "Future Society" - "The Industrialists" tags: - "elon musk" - "tesla" - "the digest" --- # Bad News, Your 401K Is Tanking, Good News, Elon Musk Is About to Make Bank ![Analysts expect 2022 to be a financial boon for Tesla — and that means its CEO Elon Musk could net billions of dollars in stock awards.]() *\Image: Getty Images/Futurism\* ## Richie Richest Analysts expect 2022 to be a hot financial year for Tesla — and that means its CEO Elon Musk could net billions of dollars in stock awards, [*CNN* reports](). His reported net worth may be sky high — according to the latest numbers, he's [still the richest person]() in the world — but Musk earns his actual take home through options, awarded each time Tesla hits certain market value targets. And now, with his electric car company [flirting with a trillion-dollar market cap](), Musk could be poised for his best year yet, even if the rest of the stock market is on shaky footing. ## Nightmare Year At first glance, this past month has been a bit of a disaster for Tesla, with stocks [sliding several percentage points]() and overall valuation dipping below the esteemed 13 figure mark. Tesla is just along for the ride, though — Wall Street on the whole is affected, with markets [declining for three consecutive weeks](). "It’s been a nightmare 2022 thus far for investors," Dan Ives, managing director of equity research at Wedbush Securities, [told *The Washington Post*](). The slump has also slashed $30 billion off of Musk's Tesla stock holdings as well. ## Car Wars But market analysts are bullish and expect the billionaire's company to hit all five remaining financial targets in 2022. That means Musk may receive four or more out of five tranches, essentially Musk's personal reward for Tesla hitting those targets — a personal record, according to *CNN*. "With Tesla's growth trajectory, I'd be surprised if he doesn't get all five tranches this year based on hitting all the triggers," Ives told the broadcaster. In fact, Musk could qualify for a payout sooner than one might think as Tesla is set to [report fourth quarter earnings]() on Wednesday. Still, Tesla's sky high market valuation — it's worth [more than the next ten automakers]() in the world combined, despite only representing a tiny sliver of sales — makes it a risky option. And investors may be growing wary, leading to this year's slump. A lot will depend on Wednesday's report earnings call. Tesla may stand a chance of hitting several more targets, making the richest man in the world even richer. But if Tesla has had a less impressive Q4, the company's stock could keep sliding for the time being. **READ MORE:** [Elon Musk is about to get a lot richer]() \[*CNN*\] **More on Musk:** *[Tesla Is Absolutely Spraying Out Cars]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()