--- title: "Pope Leo Slams Elon Musk's Trillion Dollar Pay Package, Condemns Widening Income Disparity In Society: 'We're In Big Trouble'" description: "Pope Leo XIV criticized the $1 trillion pay package of Elon Musk, highlighting the growing income disparity between the wealthy and the working class. In an interview, he expressed concerns about the " type: "news" locale: "en" url: "https://longbridge.com/en/news/257316432.md" published_at: "2025-09-15T08:12:31.000Z" --- # Pope Leo Slams Elon Musk's Trillion Dollar Pay Package, Condemns Widening Income Disparity In Society: 'We're In Big Trouble' > Pope Leo XIV criticized the $1 trillion pay package of Elon Musk, highlighting the growing income disparity between the wealthy and the working class. In an interview, he expressed concerns about the implications of such wealth concentration, stating that it contributes to societal polarization. The Pope noted that CEOs now earn 600 times more than workers, a stark contrast to the past. The pay package has sparked debate, with Bernie Sanders calling it immoral, while Tesla's board defended it as a motivator for performance. Musk remains the richest man globally, despite recent fluctuations in rankings. In his first media interview, **Pope Leo** **XIV** criticized the exorbitant compensation packages of corporate executives, particularly singling out **Elon Musk**‘s $1 trillion pay plan. ## **Pope Warns Of Income Inequality, Highlights Musk's Pay** The Pope, who hails from Chicago, expressed his concerns about the widening income gap between the working class and the wealthy. He highlighted the recent $1 trillion compensation plan for **Tesla**‘s TSLA CEO, **Elon Musk**, as an example of this disparity. The interview was published by Crux for an upcoming biography by Senior Correspondent **Elise Ann Allen**, on Sunday on the occasion of Pope Leo’s 70th birthday. *Check out the current price of TSLA stock here.* “Yesterday the news that Elon Musk is going to be the first trillionaire in the world. What does that mean and what's that about?” Pope Leo said in the interview. Pope Leo linked wealth disparity, citing Musk’s pay package, as a key cause of growing polarization in society and the Catholic Church. “CEOs that 60 years ago might have been making four to six times more than what the workers are receiving … 600 times more (now),” Leo said in the interview. Pope says that, on top of that, a couple of other factors should be added, one of which he thinks is very significant: the continuously widening gap between the income levels of the working class and the money that the wealthiest receive. He further questioned the societal implications of such a system, stating, “If that is the only thing that has value anymore, then we’re in big trouble.” ## Bernie **Sanders Slams Musk's Pay; Denholm, Jonas Defend It** Musk’s $1 trillion pay package has been a topic of debate. It drew criticism from Senator **Bernie Sanders**, who termed the package as “grossly immoral” and “insane economics” in a post on social media. On the other hand, Tesla Board Chair **Robyn Denholm** defended the package, stating that it motivates unique performance and is about “doing things that no one else has done before.” Earlier this month, Morgan Stanley investor **Adam Jonas** lauded the package as a “good deal” for Tesla investors. Jonas stated that adding that while $1 trillion was a big number, it pales in comparison to the size of the “market opportunity.” Elon Musk continues to be the richest man in the world, but he was briefly dethroned by **Larry Ellison**, co-founder and chief technology officer of **Oracle Corp.** ORCL after the company’s spectacular earnings last week. **READ NEXT:** - **Gary Black Flags Two Key Upside Triggers For TSLA Stock Despite Valuation Concerns** *Image via Shutterstock* ### Related Stocks - [TSLA.US - Tesla](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/TSLA.US.md) ## Related News & Research | Title | Description | URL | |-------|-------------|-----| | Elon Musk Says NASA Will Account For Only 5% Of SpaceX's Revenue In 2026: 'I Love NASA, But...' | Elon Musk stated that NASA will only account for 5% of SpaceX's revenue in 2026, with the Starlink satellite internet se | [Link](https://longbridge.com/en/news/275306622.md) | | ANALYSIS-Musk fires up SpaceX, Bezos pushes Blue Origin as US billionaires race China to moon | The competition between U.S. billionaires Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos in the space race is intensifying as both aim to retu | [Link](https://longbridge.com/en/news/275888738.md) | | Musk used a two-step merger process for SpaceX's purchase of xAI, sources say | Musk used a two-step merger process for SpaceX's purchase of xAI, sources say | [Link](https://longbridge.com/en/news/275049432.md) | | This Tiny EV Company Is Promising Solid-State Batteries In 2027 | Karma Automotive, a California-based EV startup, plans to launch its first fully electric vehicle, the Kaveya, in 2027, | [Link](https://longbridge.com/en/news/274987198.md) | | Chinese vacuum maker Dreame pushes its planned EV with Super Bowl ad | Dreame Technology, a Chinese robot vacuum maker, aired a $10 million Super Bowl ad for its upcoming electric luxury car, | [Link](https://longbridge.com/en/news/275282457.md) | --- > **Disclaimer**: This article is for reference only and does not constitute any investment advice.