By Callum Keown

Meta Platforms has unveiled ambitious executive pay incentives, targeting a $9 trillion market capitalization by 2031 as it looks to get ahead in the intensifying AI talent race.

Under the stock options program, which includes six leaders but not CEO Mark Zuckerberg, the full value of the options would only be realized if Meta stock jumps more than 500% to $3,727, according to filings late Tuesday.

The Facebook owner's current market cap stands at $1.5 trillion, as of Tuesday's closing price of $592.92.

"This is a big bet. These pay packages will not be realized unless Meta achieves massive future success, benefiting all of our shareholders," a Meta spokesman said in a statement reported by The Wall Street Journal.

Tesla did something similar when it proposed a pay package worth up to $1 trillion for CEO Elon Musk -- if a series of ambitious targets are met over the next decade, including boost the electric-vehicle maker to an $8.5 trillion valuation. Shareholders approved the eye-watering compensation plan in November last year.

But the time scale for Meta executives' targets is half that -- just five years -- and requires a bigger jump in valuation.

The compensation incentive program includes Chief Financial Officer Susan Li, Chief Technology Officer Andrew Bosworth, Chief Operation Officer Javier Olivan, Chief Product Officer Chris Cox, Chief Legal Officer C.J. Mahoney and Vice Chairman Dina Powell McCormick, according to filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Mahoney only joined Meta in January from tech rival Microsoft, while former Trump advisor Powell McCormick also joined the management team at the start of the year.

Write to Callum Keown at callum.keown@dowjones.com

This content was created by Barron's, which is operated by Dow Jones & Co. Barron's is published independently from Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

March 25, 2026 04:58 ET (08:58 GMT)

Copyright (c) 2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.