Lawyers representing Richard Tornetta, a Tesla shareholder, have made headlines by successfully contesting Elon Musk’s colossal $56 billion compensation agreement, labeling it excessive and unlawful. The legal triumph led to a Delaware judge revoking Musk’s pay package, a decision that has stirred significant debate and controversy. Now, the attorneys are requesting nearly $6 billion in Tesla stock as legal fees, a move that has sparked further discussion about the fairness and implications of such a large compensation for legal services.

Unprecedented Legal Fee Request

The lawyers, from three prominent law firms, argue that their fee request, amounting to about $6 billion or approximately 29.4 million shares of Tesla stock, is justified by the significant benefit delivered to Tesla shareholders. Their argument is anchored in the notion that the fee is directly linked to the value created by revoking Musk’s pay package, thereby benefiting the company and its shareholders. This fee would represent an hourly rate of $288,888, highlighting the extraordinary nature of the request. Elon Musk, Tesla’s CEO, vehemently criticized the fee demand, calling it “criminal” and implying that the lawyers are seeking unjust enrichment from their legal victory.