Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteThe headline was about a January 2022 market slump and a conditional forecast—not proof that every 401(k) was losing money or that Elon Musk had already received a payout. Futurism reported that the market decline had cut $30 billion from Musk’s Tesla holdings, while analysts predicted Tesla might meet five remaining targets that could unlock additional stock-option tranches. Tesla’s later filings show how much the story changed.
What did “your 401K is tanking” mean?
Victor Tangermann’s January 25, 2022 Futurism article described a three-week run of broad market declines. Its “your 401K is tanking” wording was rhetorical: the article did not measure a representative group of 401(k) accounts or establish what any individual reader owned.
An index or market decline does not tell you exactly how a particular retirement account performed. Results depend on the account’s investments and allocation, among other plan-specific factors. The article’s historical market context cannot establish whether U.S. 401(k) balances are broadly declining in 2026; the sources available here do not provide a representative current performance statistic.
Why did the headline say Musk was about to make bank?
Futurism reported that the market slump had cut $30 billion from Musk’s Tesla holdings. That was the article’s estimate in January 2022, not a current valuation of his holdings.
The pay angle was a forecast, not a confirmed payout. Analysts expected Tesla could meet five remaining 2022 financial targets, potentially earning Musk further tranches of stock options. Dan Ives, then managing director of equity research at Wedbush Securities, told CNN, as quoted by Futurism: “With Tesla’s growth trajectory, I’d be surprised if he doesn’t get all five tranches this year based on hitting all the triggers.” That was his conditional prediction at the time; it does not establish that all five targets were met or that the forecasted options were paid out.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What happened to Musk’s 2018 award after 2022?
The award’s later history is more complicated than the headline’s “about to” suggests. On December 19, 2025, the Associated Press reported that the Delaware Supreme Court had reversed the decision rescinding Musk’s 2018 package. AP described the package as worth $55 billion at the time of its report; that time-bound valuation is not a figure for the 2026 exercise disclosures.
In its Form 10-Q filed July 22, 2026, covering the quarter ended June 30, 2026, Tesla said a Delaware Court of Chancery final order entered March 18, 2026 implemented reversal of the rescission order and reinstated the 2018 CEO Performance Award. Tesla also disclosed that Musk exercised approximately 304.0 million underlying options during that quarter.
The same filing says a separate 2025 interim award covering 96 million shares was forfeited on April 21, 2026, consistent with Tesla’s stated “no double dip” principle. The filing’s share counts and award status do not, on their own, establish a current dollar value for the exercise. An award being reinstated, options being exercised, and shares being forfeited are distinct events; the January 2022 forecast should not be treated as a report of a realized payout.
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