In a landmark reversal, the Delaware Supreme Court on Friday, December 19, restored the 2018 compensation package for Tesla CEO Elon Musk.

The deal is now valued around $139 billion. The decision overturns a 2024 lower court ruling that had nullified the pay plan as “unfathomable.”

With this decision, a year-long battle that started when a shareholder owning just nine Tesla shares challenged the package.

In her 2024 decision, Delaware Chancery Court Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick found Tesla’s board had failed to prove the massive award was fair to shareholders, citing conflicts of interest and a lack of full disclosure.

However, the state’s highest court disagreed, stating in a 49-page opinion that completely rescinding the package was “inequitable” and “leaves Musk uncompensated for his time and efforts over a period of six years.”

The 2018 package grants Musk stock options to buy about 304 million Tesla shares at a steep discount if the company hit ambitious financial and operational milestones (all of which company has achieved).

The legal fight had significant repercussions. Musk, incensed by initial voiding of his pay, launched a fierce campaign against Delaware’s corporate legal system, calling it hostile to business and urging companies to incorporate elsewhere.

Various high-profile firms such as Coinbase and Roblox, resultantly moved their legal homes to states such as Texas and Nevada.

Musk celebrated the ruling on his social media platform X (formerly Twitter), posting that he was “vindicated.”

In after-hours trading, Tesla shares were slightly up.

The reinstatement of the 2018 package comes just weeks after Tesla shareholders approved a new, even larger compensation plan for Musk in November.

That package could be worth up to $878 billion if the company meets extraordinary growth targets over the next decade.

Lawyers for the shareholder who originally challenged the 2018 deal said they were “considering our next steps” and remained “proud to have participated in the historic verdict below.”

The Supreme Court’s decision solidifies Musk’s position as the world’s richest person as this title is largely built on his Tesla and SpaceX holdings.  

Prince William is anticipated to hold the fort for his father King Charles in 2026 as the monarch plans to attend to matters of international diplomacy.

The Prince of Wales, who has reportedly been prepared to take on his destined role “on a moment’s notice” by the Palace, was seen establishing his image as a global leader as he stepped in for his father for significant events, giving the speech at the COP30 and attending the funeral of the late Pope Francis.

2026 will also prove to be a rewarding year for the heir to the throne despite the cut down on his travels, according to psychic Inbaal Honigman.

“He will be run off his feet, but with no overseas travel indicated, all of this activity takes place within the borders of the Kingdom,” she predicted.

King Charles had revealed that his cancer treatment can be “scaled back” as doctors have indicated positive recovery. Hence, the Palace has already indicated three major tours for Chales and Camilla next year.

In her tarot card reading, she determined to Tarotoo that William’s year be dictated by the “most positive” World card.

She claimed that this year will be “successful, joyous, and easygoing” and it will leave him with a sense of personal victory.

William will also be doing a lot of the work that he is passionate about. He is set to lend his name to “scientific research around longevity, and he will be photographed supporting animal conservation efforts, specifically relating to aviary species”. He is also expected to open a chain of schools.

It will be a rewarding year but a busy one.

Travis Kelce has become a steady presence in Taylor Swift’s life, and the pop star says their shared careers have made all the difference.

In a new episode of her Disney+ docuseries The End of an Era, Swift, 36, opened up about how touring once made relationships difficult. “Relationships on tour has always been something I’ve really struggled with because it’s always felt like the tour was taking away from the relationship,” she said.

“Somehow, I was not able to do both and feel like I was nurturing both at the same time, even though I would try and try and try and try.”

That changed when she began dating the Kansas City Chiefs tight end. Swift explained there was a “dynamic shift” because both she and Kelce perform in stadiums for a living.

“We both have jobs where we go out in NFL stadiums, and we entertain people for three and a half hours,” she said. “His with considerably more violence than mine — but he’s not in heels. But it’s our passion. We’ve been chasing this since we were little kids.”

Swift added, “I don’t think I ever thought I’d meet a guy who had that same trajectory… You can have the two passions coexist, and they actually fuel each other.”

The couple has been publicly supportive of one another, with Kelce even joining Swift onstage during her Eras Tour stop in London. Fans cheered as he danced and helped carry her across the Wembley Stadium stage.

“The fans absolutely love Travis,” Swift said, adding that Swifties admire “the way he treats me.”

The couple announced their engagement on Instagram on August 26, marking another milestone in a love story that began with a friendship bracelet and a missed meeting.