Elon's $1T Pay Plan, Millennial Saint, & Helicopter Parents

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Adam Rogers
September 08, 2025

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Tesla proposed a $1 trillion compensation package for CEO Elon Musk over 10 years after he threatened to pursue AI projects elsewhere without greater control. The plan would increase Musk's stake in Tesla to 25% if he grows the company's value from around $1 trillion today to $8.5 trillion.
Musk must hit 12 market capitalization milestones paired with operational targets, including delivering 20 million vehicles and 1 million Optimus robots, while launching 1 million robotaxis into commercial use. He needs to remain as CEO or executive officer for at least seven and a half years to cash out any stock, and 10 years to earn the full amount.
The $8.5 trillion target would make Tesla worth more than double Nvidia's current valuation as the world's most valuable company. Tesla shareholders must approve the package, which comes after a Delaware court invalidated Musk's previous $50+ billion deal for conflicts of interest.

Carlo Acutis will become the first millennial saint when Pope Leo XIV canonizes him Sunday in St. Peter's Square. The Italian teenager died of leukemia at 15 in 2006 and has been credited with two miracles, including healing a Brazilian boy who touched one of his T-shirts and a Costa Rican student who recovered from head trauma after her mother prayed at his tomb.
Known as 'God's influencer,' Carlo taught himself programming and built a website cataloging over 100 Church-recognized Eucharistic miracles worldwide. Despite loving video games and soccer like other teens, he attended daily Mass and taught catechism, using technology to spread Catholic faith.
Carlo's body lies in a shrine in Assisi wearing jeans, sneakers, and a track top, attracting thousands of daily visitors who relate to his contemporary appearance. He often said, 'All of us are born originals, but so many end up as photocopies.'

Carlos Alcaraz defeated Jannik Sinner 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 to win the US Open title Sunday, marking the first time in tennis history that the same two men played each other in three consecutive Grand Slam finals within a single season. Alcaraz claimed his second US Open championship and sixth major title overall while reclaiming the No. 1 ranking from Sinner.
The young rivals have combined to win the past eight Grand Slam tournaments in a row, with Alcaraz now leading their head-to-head series 10-5. The match was delayed 30 minutes due to extra security for President Trump's attendance, the first sitting president at the tournament since Bill Clinton in 2000.
On the women’s side, Aryna Sabalenka defended her US Open title, defeating Amanda Anisimova 6-3, 7-6 (3) to claim her fourth Grand Slam. She finally broke through in 2025’s last major after losing in the finals at the Australian Open to Madison Keys and the French Open to Coco Gauff. She is the first repeat women’s champion at Flushing Meadows since Serena Williams.

South Korea will charter a flight to bring home 475 workers detained in the largest immigration raid in US history at a Georgia Hyundai facility on Thursday. (More)

Postal shipments to the US have plunged 80% since the Trump administration ended duty-free treatment for low-value parcels on Aug 29. (More)

The DOJ asked a judge to deny NBC's request to reveal the names of two Epstein associates who received $100,000 and $250,000 payments. The names are covered under Epstein’s 2007 non-prosecution agreement. (More)

Russia launched its largest attack of the war with 823 drones and missiles, hitting Ukraine's cabinet building in Kyiv and killing at least eight civilians across the country. (More)

Undersea cable cuts in the Red Sea disrupted internet in Asia and the Middle East. It is unclear if a ship’s anchors accidentally cut it or Yemen's Houthis caused the damage. (More)

Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba resigned Sunday after his party lost elections and faced a no-confidence vote, despite completing a major $550 billion trade deal with America. (More)

US stock markets closed lower on Friday (S&P -0.32%, Nasdaq -0.03%, Dow -0.48%). A weaker-than-expected jobs report drove stocks lower. (More)

McDonald's left the restaurant trade group and criticized tipped wages that let competitors pay servers $2.13 hourly while McDonald's pays full minimum wage to workers. (More)

Gold prices hit fresh records this week, rising 35% this year to nearly $3,600 an ounce as investors seek safety amid economic uncertainty and expected Fed rate cuts. (More)

Aaron Rodgers beat his former Jets team 34-32 in his Steelers debut, throwing four touchdowns before Chris Boswell's 60-yard field goal sealed the comeback win. (More)

Carmelo Anthony joined the Basketball Hall of Fame Saturday alongside Dwight Howard, Sue Bird, Maya Moore, and Sylvia Fowles. (More)

Jim Jarmusch surprised critics by winning Venice's Golden Lion for "Father Mother Sister Brother," his family drama starring Adam Driver, Cate Blanchett, and Tom Waits. (More)

Common Sense Media called Google's Gemini AI "high risk" for kids, finding it shares inappropriate content about sex, drugs, and mental health despite child safety filters. (More)

Stem cells aged ten times faster during month-long space station experiments, showing DNA damage and genetic changes that could help scientists understand aging on Earth. (More)

New research shows humans and chimps share about 85% DNA similarity, not 98.8%, because earlier studies ignored genome sections that can't be easily compared. (More)

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