Elon Musk, the world’s richest person and the leader behind Tesla, recently entered the Indian market with his electric car company. While his various ventures employ thousands globally, he has placed his trust in Indian-origin executive Vaibhav Taneja for more than just corporate finance. Taneja has now been named Treasurer and Custodian of Records for Musk’s newly launched political party, the America Party. Before this appointment, he was Tesla’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO).
From Delhi University to Tesla’s Boardroom
Vaibhav Taneja is from India and did his Commerce from Delhi University in 1999. A year later he became a Chartered Accountant. His academic journey took him to the US in 2006 where he got the prestigious CPA (Certified Public Accountant) qualification. His solid financial foundation was the starting point for a global career.
Taneja’s professional journey began with almost 17 years at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) where he handled IPO filings and financial strategies for over 500 clients. In 2016 he joined SolarCity, a solar energy company that later merged with Tesla. By 2017 he was fully part of the Tesla ecosystem and rose through the ranks quickly.
Massive Salary, Key Responsibilities
In 2023 he was appointed as Tesla’s CFO and in 2024 his total compensation was around USD 139.5 million – approximately Rs 1,157 crore. Interestingly his base salary was just USD 400,000 and the rest was from stock options and equity awards. His influence within Tesla goes further – he is also the Director of Tesla India Motors and Energy Pvt. Ltd. and played a key role in launching Tesla’s operations in India.
Now as Treasurer of the America Party, Taneja will manage everything from political donations to expense tracking and regulatory compliance. Once again Musk has put his trust in Taneja – this time not just for the future of Tesla but for the financial health of his political ambitions.