Vaibhav Taneja: Man who earns more than 13 lakh per hour salary
Vaibhav Taneja sent shockwaves around
the globe after he earned approximately Rs. 1195 crores as the total
compensation from Tesla in 2024. This record-breaking salary has surpassed the
high-profile tech leaders like Satya Nadella (approx.
680 crores) and Sundar Pichai (approx. 92 crores). He currently serves as the CFO
of Tesla and earns more than Rs. 13 lakh per hour. His journey from Delhi
University to become the CFO of Tesla is both surprising as well as inspiring.
It is the symbol of excellence and global achievement.
His pay package includes the stock
options and equity grants that he received after his promotion as CFO in 2023. Born
in 1977 and raised in Delhi (India), Vaibhav Taneja comes from a middle-class family.
He doesn’t even have an Ivy-League degree. But he loved numbers. His methodical
mind and his disciplined approach changed his fortune.
Vaibhav Taneja earned his B.Com from
Delhi University in 1999. He later became a Chartered Accountant in India and a
Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in the U.S. in 2006. Having worked for 17
years at PwC in India and the U.S., he eventually joined SolarCity in 2016. When
SolarCity merged with Tesla in 2017, he landed in Tesla.
At Tesla, Taneja started as an Assistant
Corporate Controller and later became Corporate Controller in 2018, Chief
Accounting Officer in 2019, and finally Chief Financial Officer in August 2023.
Today, he also serves as a director for Tesla India Motors and Energy, playing
a crucial role in shaping Tesla’s strategy for the Indian market.
Taneja’s 2024 salary package can
be attributed to rise in Tesla shares. The Tesla shares rose from $250 to $342
after Taneja received them. Tesla is going through tough times and values Taneja’s
proven expertise, his strategic financial leadership and his calm precision.
With what he achieved, he has become a role model - especially for Indians.
Ravindra Zinjurke