A rising trend in executive compensation, known as “moonshot” pay packages, ties CEOs’ earnings to achieving ambitious, long-term market capitalization milestones. Axon Enterprise CEO Rick Smith accepted such a plan, with virtually all his pay hinged on growing the company’s value tenfold over a decade. Smith outpaced targets, doubling Axon’s market cap to over $13 billion in five years and earning $165 million, becoming the highest-paid CEO in America last year. This pay model inspired by Elon Musk in 2018 aligns CEO incentives with shareholders but remains controversial due to high volatility and potential for zero pay if goals are missed. Its adoption is spreading as boards seek to attract top leadership through high-stakes performance bets.