Pope Leo criticises huge CEO pay and warns UN has lost diplomatic power

Pope Leo has criticised corporate pay packages that grant executives hundreds of times more than workers, citing Tesla’s $1 trillion compensation plan for CEO Elon Musk. The remarks came in excerpts from his first media interview, released on Sunday by Catholic news site Crux.

The U.S.-born pontiff, elected in May to succeed Pope Francis, said CEOs once made four to six times more than employees but now earn 600 times more. “Yesterday (there was) the news that Elon Musk is going to be the first trillionaire in the world. What does that mean and what’s that about? If that is the only thing that has value anymore, then we’re in big trouble,” Leo said.

Leo also criticised the United Nations, saying it had lost its ability to foster effective multilateral diplomacy. “The United Nations should be the place where many issues are dealt with,” he said. “Unfortunately, it seems to be generally recognised that the United Nations, at least at this moment in time, has lost its ability to bring people together.”

The new pope, originally from Chicago, reflected on decades as a missionary in Peru and how he has been adapting to the papacy. He admitted he felt prepared to lead Catholics on spiritual matters but less prepared for global diplomacy. “The totally new aspect to this job is being thrown onto the level of world leader. I’m learning a lot and feeling very challenged, but not overwhelmed,” he said.

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