The package is made up of Tesla stock and was worth $56 billion (around £44bn) in January. Should it go through, it will be the largest compensation ever received by an executive at a US-listed company and would increase Musk’s stake in Tesla from 13% to over 20%.

Following the vote at the Tesla annual meeting in Austin, Texas, Musk told present shareholders “hot damn I love you guys”, adding “we have the most awesome shareholder base of any public company”.

While the shareholder vote doesn’t supersede the court’s decision, it could influence the judge to reconsider.

The meeting also saw shareholders vote to reincorporate the electric vehicle maker in Texas, and the re-election of two key Musk allies, James Murdoch and Kimbal Musk, despite opposition from proxy advisors.