Tesla has handed its chief executive, Elon Musk, shares worth almost $30bn after the billionaire warned he could leave unless he was given greater control over the company. In a filing, Tesla said it had awarded Mr Musk 96m shares valued at roughly $29bn as part of an interim 2025 award.

Elon Musk was awarded a new $US29 billion ($A44.7bn) pay package by Tesla’s board on Monday that vests in two years — a vital move to keep the mogul at the helm during a crucial pivot from its struggling core auto business to robotaxis and humanoid robots.

The firm said its board agreed to give its billionaire head (pictured) 96m shares as part of a pay deal, according to a recent filing.