Salesforce CEO Benioff exercises options, sells shares
Rhea-AI Filing Summary
Salesforce Chair and CEO Marc Benioff exercised a non-qualified stock option for 2,250 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $161.50 per share on October 7, 2025, then sold 2,250 shares in multiple market transactions pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan adopted on January 9, 2025. After these trades, he holds 11,911,571 Salesforce common shares directly, plus additional indirect holdings through a trust and the Marc Benioff Fund LLC.
Positive
- None.
Negative
- None.
Insights
Automatic trading plan produced option exercise and multiple small sales.
The reporting shows a 2,250-option acquisition at a $161.50 exercise price and several small open-market sales executed under a 10b5-1 plan on 10/07/2025
These moves are consistent with pre-authorized tax or diversification actions; monitor near-term changes in reported beneficial ownership where the filing lists between 11,911,772 and 11,913,821 common shares and 10,000,000 shares held by the Fund within the next reporting cycle.
Substantial indirect holdings remain concentrated in trust and the Fund.
The filing discloses 107,000 shares by trust and 10,000,000 shares via Marc Benioff Fund LLC, indicating material indirect ownership despite small sales and option activity.
Investors should note the mix of direct and indirect holdings when assessing insider alignment; any future large transfers from the Fund or trusts would be material and should appear in subsequent Section 16 filings.
Insider Trade Summary
Exercise and Sale: 2,250 shares ($177K approx. pre-tax spread)
Exercise and Sale
13 txns
Insider
Benioff Marc
Role
Chair and CEO
Sold
2,250 shs ($540K)
Approx. gross sale proceeds
$540K
Approx. exercise cost
$363K
Approx. pre-tax spread
$177K
| Type | Security | Shares | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exercise | Non-qualified Stock Option (Right to Buy) | 2,250 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Exercise | Common Stock | 2,250 | $161.50 | $363K |
| Sale | Common Stock | 340 | $238.3501 | $81K |
| Sale | Common Stock | 1,057 | $239.18 | $253K |
| Sale | Common Stock | 410 | $239.9582 | $98K |
| Sale | Common Stock | 81 | $241.1981 | $20K |
| Sale | Common Stock | 35 | $241.968 | $8K |
| Sale | Common Stock | 85 | $243.2861 | $21K |
| Sale | Common Stock | 41 | $244.4124 | $10K |
| Sale | Common Stock | 157 | $246.3554 | $39K |
| Sale | Common Stock | 44 | $246.98 | $11K |
| holding | Common Stock | -- | -- | -- |
| holding | Common Stock | -- | -- | -- |
Holdings After Transaction:
Non-qualified Stock Option (Right to Buy) — 40,622 contracts (Direct);
Common Stock — 11,911,571 shares (Direct);
Common Stock — 107,000 shares (Indirect, By Trust);
Common Stock — 10,000,000 shares (Indirect, By Marc Benioff Fund LLC)
Footnotes (11)
- F1. As indicated by the checkbox above, this transaction was effected automatically pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan adopted by the reporting person on January 9, 2025.
- F2. Shares held in the reporting person's name or in the Marc R. Benioff Revocable Trust.
- F3. Weighted average price. These shares were sold in multiple transactions at prices ranging from $237.7200 to $238.6900 inclusive. The reporting person undertakes to provide the issuer, any security holder of the issuer, or the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission, upon request, full information regarding the number of shares sold at each separate price within the range set forth above.
- F4. Weighted average price. These shares were sold in multiple transactions at prices ranging from $238.7300 to $239.6854 inclusive. The reporting person undertakes to provide the issuer, any security holder of the issuer, or the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission, upon request, full information regarding the number of shares sold at each separate price within the range set forth above.
- F5. Weighted average price. These shares were sold in multiple transactions at prices ranging from $239.7300 to $240.2300 inclusive. The reporting person undertakes to provide the issuer, any security holder of the issuer, or the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission, upon request, full information regarding the number of shares sold at each separate price within the range set forth above.
- F6. Weighted average price. These shares were sold in multiple transactions at prices ranging from $240.7784 to $241.4178 inclusive. The reporting person undertakes to provide the issuer, any security holder of the issuer, or the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission, upon request, full information regarding the number of shares sold at each separate price within the range set forth above.
- F7. Weighted average price. These shares were sold in multiple transactions at prices ranging from $241.9341 to $242.0000 inclusive. The reporting person undertakes to provide the issuer, any security holder of the issuer, or the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission, upon request, full information regarding the number of shares sold at each separate price within the range set forth above.
- F8. Weighted average price. These shares were sold in multiple transactions at prices ranging from $242.9748 to $243.6560 inclusive. The reporting person undertakes to provide the issuer, any security holder of the issuer, or the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission, upon request, full information regarding the number of shares sold at each separate price within the range set forth above.
- F9. Weighted average price. These shares were sold in multiple transactions at prices ranging from $245.8543 to $246.5600 inclusive. The reporting person undertakes to provide the issuer, any security holder of the issuer, or the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission, upon request, full information regarding the number of shares sold at each separate price within the range set forth above.
- F10. Shares held in the Marc Benioff Fund LLC (the "Fund"). Fund interests are held in the reporting person's name or in trust.
- F11. Option vests over four years at the rate of 25% on March 22, 2020, the first anniversary of the holder's date of grant, with the balance vesting in equal monthly installments over the remaining 36 months.
Key Figures
Options Exercised: 2,250 shares
Exercise Price: $161.5000 per share
Shares Sold: 2,250 shares
+4 more
7 metrics
Options Exercised
2,250 shares
Non-qualified stock option exercised on October 7, 2025
Exercise Price
$161.5000 per share
Strike price of the non-qualified stock option
Shares Sold
2,250 shares
Total Salesforce common shares sold in multiple transactions on October 7, 2025
Sale Price Example
$238.3501 per share
One reported price for common stock sales
Direct Holdings Post-Transaction
11,911,571 shares
Canonical direct Salesforce common stock holdings after reported transactions
Trust Holdings
107,000 shares
Common stock held indirectly by trust as of October 7, 2025
Fund LLC Holdings
10,000,000 shares
Common stock held indirectly through Marc Benioff Fund LLC
Key Terms
Non-qualified Stock Option, Rule 10b5-1 trading plan, Weighted average price, Revocable Trust
4 terms
Non-qualified Stock Option financial
"Security title reported as "Non-qualified Stock Option (Right to Buy)""
A non-qualified stock option (NSO) is a contract that lets an employee or service provider buy company shares at a fixed price for a set period, like a voucher to purchase stock later at today’s price. It matters to investors because exercising NSOs creates ordinary income for the holder and can increase share count, affecting a company’s earnings and ownership mix; think of it as a future sale that can dilute existing shareholders and has immediate tax consequences for the recipient.
Rule 10b5-1 trading plan financial
"Transaction was effected automatically pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan adopted January 9, 2025"
A Rule 10b5-1 trading plan is a pre-arranged schedule that allows company insiders to buy or sell stock at specific times, even if they have inside information. It helps prevent accusations of unfair trading by making these transactions look planned and transparent, rather than sneaky or illegal.
Weighted average price financial
"Weighted average price; shares sold in multiple transactions at prices within a stated range"
Weighted average price is the average price of a security where each trade or component is counted according to its size, so bigger trades pull the average more than smaller ones. Think of it like calculating the average cost of a grocery haul where items you bought more of have greater influence on the final per-item cost. Investors use it to understand the true average price paid or received, judge execution quality, and compare trading performance against market movement.
Revocable Trust financial
"Shares held in the Marc R. Benioff Revocable Trust"
A revocable trust is a legal arrangement where the person who creates it keeps control and can change or cancel the trust at any time, while naming who will manage and receive the assets later. Think of it like a flexible folder for your investments and property that can be relabeled or reworked as circumstances change; it matters to investors because it determines how ownership is recorded, how easily assets transfer on incapacity or death, and whether holdings bypass public probate proceedings.
FAQ
What did Salesforce (CRM) CEO Marc Benioff report in this Form 4 filing?
Marc Benioff exercised options for 2,250 Salesforce shares and sold 2,250 shares of common stock on October 7, 2025. These transactions involved a non-qualified stock option and were executed under a pre-established Rule 10b5-1 trading plan adopted January 9, 2025.
Were Marc Benioff’s Salesforce (CRM) trades made under a Rule 10b5-1 plan?
Yes. A footnote states the transactions were effected automatically under a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan adopted by Marc Benioff on January 9, 2025. Such plans pre-schedule trades, which can reduce the informational value of the exact timing of these stock sales.
What were the terms of the Salesforce (CRM) stock option Marc Benioff exercised?
The exercised non-qualified stock option covered 2,250 shares at an exercise price of $161.50 per share, expiring on March 22, 2026. A footnote explains it vested 25% on March 22, 2020, with the balance vesting in equal monthly installments over the following 36 months.
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
