Elon Musk has donated close to US$100 million worth of Tesla shares to undisclosed charities, according to a regulatory filing, in a move linked to year-end tax planning as the billionaire continues to reshape his financial and corporate positioning.
An SEC filing released on Wednesday showed that Musk transferred roughly 210,000 Tesla shares to charitable recipients on Tuesday. The document stated that the donations were made for “year-end tax planning” purposes, though it did not identify the organisations involved. The recipients reportedly indicated they had no immediate plans to sell the shares.
While the donation is significant in absolute terms, it represents a small fraction of Musk’s vast personal wealth, estimated at about $619 billion by the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Musk remains the world’s richest individual, with the bulk of his fortune tied to Tesla and SpaceX.
The timing of the donation comes as Musk intensifies efforts to increase his control over Tesla. He has repeatedly argued that his current voting power is insufficient to safely expand the company’s artificial intelligence and robotics ambitions. Earlier this year, Musk said he would be uncomfortable pushing forward with advanced AI and humanoid robotics projects without owning at least 25% of Tesla’s voting shares.
Tesla shareholders approved a new and potentially historic compensation package for Musk in November. If the company meets a series of aggressive performance and valuation targets over the next decade, the deal could raise Musk’s ownership stake from about 13% to nearly 29%, significantly strengthening his grip on the electric vehicle maker.
The donation also comes ahead of a critical period for Tesla. The company is expected to release its annual sales figures this week amid concerns that it may record a second consecutive yearly decline in vehicle deliveries. Tesla’s stock has nevertheless surged to record highs, driven by investor optimism around its autonomous driving and robotaxi initiatives.
Musk and Tesla have not publicly commented on the charitable transfer. The move, however, underscores how philanthropy, tax strategy and corporate control continue to intersect at the very top of global wealth and business power.
