Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA) is preparing to demonstrate its next-generation Roadster, featuring rocket hardware developed jointly with SpaceX. According to reports from The Information, the demonstration is scheduled for as early as this month at a SpaceX testing site in McGregor, Texas.

The event centers on a cold gas thruster system, internally code-named A71. This hardware uses pressurized inert gas for attitude control, similar to technology SpaceX employs for Falcon 9 booster landings, rather than combustion. Approximately ten thrusters are positioned where rear seats would typically reside.

Performance and Safety Protocols

Elon Musk has claimed the A71 system can accelerate the Roadster from 0 to 60 mph in about 1.1 seconds while briefly lifting the vehicle off the pavement. Due to potential hearing damage from high-pressure gas release, spectators are expected to stand several hundred yards away. The demonstration vehicle will be remotely operated without a driver and is not street legal.

Production Timeline and Pricing

The program has experienced significant delays, missing at least eight internal deadlines. The target date has slipped from an original timeline through April, May, June, and now August. Musk reportedly received a private preview of the system in late April.

Tesla intends to sell a limited-edition version equipped with the thruster package alongside a scaled-down variant. Pricing for these models could range into the hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars.

What the Numbers Show

The divergence between the aggressive performance claims (1.1-second acceleration) and the operational constraints (remote-only, non-street-legal) highlights a strategic focus on marketing spectacle over immediate commercial viability. The repeated deadline slippage suggests complex engineering integration challenges between automotive and aerospace systems.

Market Skepticism

Skepticism remains regarding the literal interpretation of "flying" capabilities. Electrek noted that a recent Roadster-related patent filing made no mention of thrusters, rockets, lift, or flight, suggesting production hardware may differ from public hype. Automotive analysts have also questioned whether hovering features would meet basic safety and liability standards for road-legal vehicles.

At the time of publication on Friday, Tesla shares were up 0.71% at $342.36. SpaceX shares were down 3.64% at $136.13.

Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA) CEO Elon Musk received $158 billion in compensation in 2025, a figure that dwarfs both employee earnings and corporate profitability metrics. According to a report by the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), this package represents a stark divergence between executive remuneration and broader economic indicators within the firm.

The report highlights that Musk's total compensation was 2,522,203 times the median compensation of a Tesla employee in 2025. This disparity significantly skewed industry-wide averages, driving the average CEO-to-worker pay ratio across S&P 500 companies to 5,387-to-1. When Musk's compensation is excluded from the calculation, the ratio for S&P 500 firms rose from 285-to-1 to 312-to-1 last year.

Scale of Compensation vs. Corporate Metrics

The magnitude of Musk's pay package extends beyond internal wage comparisons, eclipsing key financial benchmarks for Tesla itself. The $158 billion figure exceeds the total value of all products sold by Tesla in 2025. Furthermore, it stands at 41 times more than Tesla's net income for that year.

What the Numbers Show

The data reveals a structural decoupling between executive wealth accumulation and operational performance metrics. While Tesla generated positive net income in 2025, the CEO's compensation was not merely larger but exponentially disproportionate, constituting 4,100% of the company's annual profit. This suggests that the valuation basis for the compensation—likely tied to equity or market capitalization milestones rather than cash flow or profit generation—creates a scenario where executive gains are mathematically detached from the immediate profitability of the enterprise.

Context and Market Reaction

The report places Musk's compensation in the context of his broader business interests, noting it was 14 times higher than the total compensation of all other S&P 500 CEOs combined. The AFL-CIO also highlighted President Donald Trump's income, which increased 254% year-over-year to $2.2 billion in 2025.

Discussions around Musk's pay have intensified following investor approval of a trillion-dollar pay package in November last year. A clause in this agreement suggests performance-based requirements could become redundant if Tesla merges with or is acquired by another entity, such as SpaceX. Under such a scenario, the award would be determined by Tesla's market value just before the merger or the deal price.

Tesla shares slid 0.08% to $339.69 during overnight trading on Thursday following the report's publication.