Pope Leo is not happy over reports that Elon Musk’s proposed Tesla pay package could make him worth more than $1 trillion.
Leo expressed this feeling while criticizing executive pay packages during his first interview with the media.
The head of the Catholic church said that one major reason the world was so polarised was the “continuously wider gap between the income levels of the working class and the money that the wealthiest receive”.
“CEOs that 60 years ago might have been making four to six times more than what the workers are receiving, the last figure I saw, it’s 600 times more than what average workers are receiving,” he said in an interview with the Catholic newspaper Crux as part of a forthcoming biography.
“Yesterday [there was] the news that Elon Musk is going to be the first trillionaire in the world. What does that mean and what’s that about? If that is the only thing that has value any more, then we’re in big trouble.”
The board of Tesla said earlier this month that it had proposed a new trillion-dollar pay package for Musk, its chief executive and largest shareholder, if he hit targets set by the company. Musk remains one of the world’s richest people, with an estimated net worth of $419 billion.
Leo is the first pope to ever be born in the United States. Holding Peruvian citizenship, he spent much of his life in Peru as a missionary and a bishop.
Elected about four months ago, Leo said of his first few months as pontiff: “There’s still a huge learning curve ahead of me.”
“I’ve followed current affairs for many, many years. I’ve always tried to stay up on the news, but the role of pope is certainly new to me. I’m learning a lot and feeling very challenged, but not overwhelmed,” Leo, who is known for his progressive political views, added.
