From PwC trainee to $139 mn Tesla CFO: Meet Vaibhav Taneja, the Delhi boy out-earning Pichai, Nadella

Vaibhav Taneja, Tesla’s India-born Chief Financial Officer, has shattered corporate pay records with a jaw-dropping $139.5 million compensation package in 2024—making him the highest-paid CFO in the world and out-earning even tech titans Satya Nadella and Sundar Pichai.

A significant portion of Taneja’s staggering earnings came not from salary but from stock options and equity awards linked to his promotion last year. 

His base salary was just $400,000—but Tesla’s soaring share price, up from $250 to $342 by May 2025, turned his equity deal into a gold mine.

A Delhi University commerce graduate and Chartered Accountant, Taneja started his career in 1999 as an articleship trainee at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in India. 

He climbed the ranks at PwC over 17 years, working across India and the U.S., before transitioning into the renewable tech space.

In 2016, he joined SolarCity as VP and Corporate Controller. When Tesla acquired the company, Taneja stayed on, quickly advancing: from Assistant Corporate Controller in 2017 to Corporate Controller in 2018, Chief Accounting Officer in 2019, and finally CFO in 2023, replacing longtime executive Zach Kirkhorn.

Taneja also holds the role of Director of Tesla India Motors and Energy Pvt. Ltd., and has been a central figure in shaping Tesla’s India strategy—an increasingly key market for the EV giant.

His 2024 pay package not only eclipsed other CFOs, but also surpassed CEOs of some of the world’s biggest firms: Microsoft’s Satya Nadella ($79.1 million) and Google-parent Alphabet’s Sundar Pichai ($10.7 million). 

The majority of Taneja’s compensation will vest over four years, tying his reward directly to Tesla’s performance.

Recognized for his prowess in financial integration and corporate governance, Taneja has become one of the most influential finance leaders in tech.