The world's highest-paid bosses revealed
lovemoney staff
31 January 2019
Supersized salaries
While the typical CEO earns 204 times more than the average employee, according to Glassdoor data, the planet's top earners easily dwarf this figure. Thanks to lucrative share options and inflated remuneration packages, these CEOs are raking it in big-time. We take a look at the highest earners.
Satya Nadella, Microsoft: $25.84 million (£19.8m)
Indian-born chief exec Nadella is credited – and highly remunerated – for successfully implementing Microsoft's cloud computing business. He's been in the role just shy of five years, and after leading Microsoft to have one of its best years ever he received a pay packet of $25.84 million (£19.8m) in 2018, an increase of more than $5 million (£3.8m) on 2017.
Mark Okerstrom, Expedia Group: $30.7 million (£23.9m)
Expedia Group’s former chief financial officer was appointed president and CEO in August 2017, helping to lead the global online travel platform to continued success, after his predecessor Dara Khosrowshahi transformed the company into the $18 billion (£14bn) outfit it is today. Okerstrom's salary is paid as a $824,039 (£630k) base salary, with a $1.25 million (£955.9k) bonus, and the rest in stock options and compensation
Ted Sarandos, Netflix chief content officer: $31.5 million (£24.5m)
Sarandos’ 2019 pay package marks a 20% rise on the previous year, reflecting his role in the development of new and highly successful shows with star-studded casts. His $31.5 million (£24.5m) pay in 2019 will be split into a base salary of $18 million (£13.8m), and stock options of $13.5 million (£10.3m).
Reed Hastings, Netflix CEO: $31.5 million (£24.5m)
As the co-founder and CEO of trailblazing entertainment company Netflix, Hastings saw through its revolutionary transition from DVD subscription to an online streaming service back in 2017, and since then the global behemoth has gone from strength to strength. He has the same overall salary as his colleague Ted Sarandos, but it will be split into a base salary of just $700,000 (£535k), and stock options of $30.8 million (£23.6m).
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Brenton L Saunders, Allergan: $32.8 million (£25.5m)
After six years at the helm of pharmaceutical company Allergan, Saunders took a controversial pay packet of $32.8 million (£25.1m) in 2017 at a time when the company’s shares were down and jobs were cut. He received a base salary of $1.3 million (£994k), $8.75 million (£6.7m) in cash bonuses and $22.7 million (£17.4m) in stock. Allergan claimed that the CEO helped it achieve a 9.4% revenue growth and launch 15 products, making Saunders worth his new salary.
Mindy Grossman, Weight Watchers: $33.4 million (£26m)
Grossman earned almost 6,000 times what her median co-workers took home in 2017. Her base salary of $1.2 million (£918k) and bonus of $1.41 million (£1.1m) were boosted by a $26.3 million (£20.4m) one-time equity award. Grossman has helped Weight Watchers stage a comeback since 2015 when the New York-based company struggled with debts and declining customer numbers. She’s only been in the role since summer 2017.
Martine Rothblatt, United Therapeutics: $37.1 million (£28.4m)
The only transgender woman to feature in the top 30, big pharma CEO and industry visionary Rothblatt has been described as a “futurist, entrepreneur and philosopher”. Rothblatt made $37.1 million (£28.4m) in 2017, with $1.16 million (£887k) of that as a base salary, and the remaining $33.12 million (£25.3m) in stock options.
Ari Bousbib, Iqvia Holdings: $37.7 million (£29.2m)
It’s not a household name, but Iqvia Holdings’ bosses made more in 2017 than the CEO of well-known healthcare brand Johnson & Johnson. At the helm is Bousbib, who joined in 2016, and he certainly knows what he’s doing after being top dog at eight different companies in his career so far. In 2017 he had a base salary of $1.6 million (£1.2m), taking the rest of his generous pay package in bonuses and stock options. He’s also a director at Home Depot.
Safra Catz, Oracle CEO: $40.7 million (£31.1m)
Safra Catz served on the company’s board of directors from 2001, becoming president and chief financial officer before landing the role of CEO in 2014. Notably, she was responsible for the company’s acquisition of PeopleSoft, its rival, in a $10.3 billion (£8bn) takeover. In 2017, Catz's base salary was merely $950,000 (£727k) with her making the majority of her money from stock, options and bonuses.
Mark Hurd, Oracle CEO: $40.8 million (£31.2m)
Joining Oracle buddies Sarah Catz and Larry Ellison on the list, Hurd previously worked at Hewlett-Packard as chairman, CEO and president before jumping ship to Oracle in 2010, where he was named CEO four years later along with Catz. Hurd’s time at the company has seen the acquisition of companies such as NetSuite, Eloqua and Taleo. Like Catz he takes just $950,000 (£727k) as a salary, making the majority of his money from stock, options and bonuses.
John Donahoe, ServiceNow: $41.5 million (£31.7m)
Before becoming president and CEO of ServiceNow in 2017, Donahoe had a fair few big names under his belt – having held executive roles at PayPal, Nike and eBay. ServiceNow enjoyed success in 2018: it’s seen 39% growth and been named Forbes' #1 World’s Most Innovative Company. Donahoe had a package worth $41.5 million (£31.7m) in 2017, but only $525,641 (£402k) of it was his base salary with the rest made up of stock options.
David Zaslav, Discovery Communications: $42.2 million (£32.3m)
Under Zaslav's money-spinning leadership, Discovery's worth surged from $6 billion to $18 billion (£4.6bn to £14bn) in just nine years. His $3 million (£2.3m) base salary in 2017 made up only a small part of his $42.2 million (£32.3m) package that year.
Dirk Van de Put, Mondelez International: $42.4 million (£32.4m)
Mondelez, which owns big brands like Cadbury, Chips Ahoy! and Oreo, appointed Van de Put appointed as CEO in 2017. That year Van de Put had a remuneration package of $42.4 million (£32.4m), with only $162,877 (£124.5k) of that as salary and the majority coming in bonus and stock options. Prior to joining the global food company, Van de Put worked at McCain, where he was responsible for an impressive 50% rise in net sales since 2011.
Brian Duperreault, American International Group: $42.8 million (£32.7m)
President and CEO of insurance giant AIG, Duperreault has a reputation for turning around failing companies and making them thrive against tough competition. Having worked in the insurance industry for more than 40 years, his proven track record makes some argue he’s worth the hefty salary. Duperreault took just over $1 million (£765k) in base salary, and the rest in stock options and bonus.
Stephen Kaufer, TripAdvisor: $43.2 million (£33m)
Kaufer co-founded the global review site in 2000, since which time he has remained president and CEO. In 2011, TripAdvisor became the world’s largest travel site, with Kaufer helping it to acquire 24 other travel media brands operating in 48 markets worldwide. In 2017 Kaufer took $43.2 million (£33m), with just $700,000 (£535k) of that as a base salary.
Ron Clarke, FleetCor: $45.1 million (£34.5m)
Claiming to have entered the commercial payments industry “by accident”, Clarke played a key role in the rapid growth of FleetCor, from a small fleet card operator to a global mega brand with a market cap of $18.2 billion (£14bn). In 2017, Clarke received $45.1 million (£34.5m) for his role, of which over $30 million (£23m) was taken in options.
Dexter Goei, Altice USA: $53.6 million (£41m)
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CEO of telecoms giant Altice USA, Goei has worked across many areas of the media industry, from TV and mobile, to broadcasting and internet. Before joining Altice in 2009, he worked for 15 years as an investment banker. As with most CEOs Goei's base salary of $490,385 (£375k) was much lower than his overall $53.6 million (£41m) package in 2017.
W Nicholas Howley, TransDigm Group: $61 million (£46.7m)
The company chairman and CEO has been instrumental in transforming TransDigm into a major aerospace player worldwide, hence the ultra-generous remuneration. Howley's impressive $61 million (£46.7m) pay packet in 2017 started with just a $7,000 base salary, with the CEO amassing his millions through perks and share options.
Bob Iger, Walt Disney $65.7 million (£51m)
It certainly pays to lead the House of Mouse, as Iger gained a staggering 80% pay rise in 2018, with a whopping $65.7 million (£51m), according to documents filed by the SEC. He took home $36.3 million (£28m) in 2017, but his most recent bumper pay check was an incentive to extend his tenure as CEO at the company until 2021.
Gregory Maffei, Liberty Media & Qurate Retail Group: $67.2 million (£51.4m)
While the mass media company is controlled by chairman John C Malone, CEO and president Maffei has been its guiding force. His $67.2 million (£51.4m) pay package in 2017 was mostly made up of $52 million (£40m)-worth of options.
Michael Rapino, Live Nation Entertainment: $70.6 million (£54m)
The Canadian CEO of Live Nation was instrumental in its merger with Ticketmaster in 2010, which allowed the company to become the top live event company in the world. But all is not rosey for this CEO, with Ticketmaster fighting a two-year long legal battle with competitor Songkick, which resulted in Ticketmaster paying out $110 million (£83.8m) to its rival in 2018, as reported in The New York Times. That said, his 2017 pay package was still as much as $70.6 million (£54m).
Frank Bisignano, First Data: $102.2 million (£78.2m)
Having worked at JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup and Lehman Brothers, Bisignano has certainly earned his investment banking stripes. Notably, he oversaw First Data’s collaboration with Apple to create Apple Pay in 2014. He is handsomely rewarded, and received a pay package totalling $102.2 million (£78.2m) in 2017, with more than $99 million (£75.7m) of that coming from stock.
Hock E Tan, Broadcom: $103.2 million (£78.9m)
CEO of global tech company Broadcom, Tan has been at the helm of 11 different companies, largely revolving around tech and investment. In 2017 Tan had a whopping $103.2 million (£78.9m) in remuneration, with over $98 million (£75m) of that in stock.
Eric E Schmidt, Alphabet Inc: $108 million (£86.2m)
Former CEO of Google, Schmidt played a key role in its growth from Silicon Valley start-up to the behemoth that it is today. He now holds the position of Technical Advisor at Google’s parent company, Alphabet Inc, after stepping down from Google in January 2018. Schmidt is also the co-founder of Innovation Endeavors, a venture capital firm that has raised $676.5 million (£517m).
Larry J Ellison, Oracle: $109 million (£79m)
Ellison is one of the wealthiest men in America, having run the successful IT giant since its formation in 1982. However, he has seen his pay halved following a five-year campaign by his own workers. However, he's still not short of a penny and from 2017 onwards his stock option package was valued at a whopping $103.7 million (£79m). This is a cut of 47% on what he previously received, but he remains one of the world's richest men with a net worth of $61.1 billion (£46.5bn) according to Forbes.
Read the full life story of Larry Ellison: the maverick billionaire who wants to live forever
Nikesh Arora, Palo Alto Networks Inc,: $128 million (£97.9m)
Palo Alto Networks' president and CEO is set to earn $128 million (£97.9m) and to become one of the US's highest-paid executives. However, this isn't a new thing for Arora, as he was Google's highest-paid executive in 2012.
Tim Cook, Apple: $136.3 million (£105.9m)
Cook's base salary of $15 million (£11.5m) was a staggering 283 times more than the average Apple employee in 2018. But with $121 million (£92.5m) in stock, it was actually a lot more. But with the tech giant cutting down on production in the next few months, his pay cheque may not be quite so big in 2019. The CEO is planning to give away his fortune to charity when he dies. In an interview with Fortune in 2015 he said "You want to be the pebble in the pond that creates the ripple for change."
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