Median compensation for CEOs in the S&P 500 reached $171 million in 2024, according to research by Equilar and the Associated Press -- an increase of about 10% from 2023. Meanwhile, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the median American worker has weekly earnings of $1,194 -- which translates to a median salary of $62,088, assuming workers are paid for 52 weeks of labor.
The top 10 highest-paid CEOs
The table below highlights 10 highly compensated CEOs (based on 2023 earnings), where they work, and how much they were paid. The table cites compensation actually paid, which the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) now requires companies to disclose. The number is intended to represent total compensation, including defined pension benefits and the actual value of stock awards.
One common thread among the top 10 highest-paid CEOs: They often earn modest salary -- or sometimes no salary at all. The bulk of their compensation comes from equity awards.
Name | Company (Ticker) | Compensation Actually Paid (2024) |
|---|---|---|
Elon Musk | Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) | $1.403 billion |
Alexander Karp | Palantir Technologies Inc. (NYSE:PLTR) | $1.099 billion |
Hock E. Tan | Broadcom (NYSE:AVGO) | $767 million |
Brian Armstrong | Coinbase Global (NASDAQ:COIN) | $680 million |
Safra Catz | Oracle (NYSE:ORCL) | $304 million |
Brian Chesky | Airbnb (NASDAQ:ABNB) | $303 million |
Jon Winkelried | TPG (NASDAQ:TPG) | $295 million |
Jeff T. Green | The Trade Desk (NASDAQ:TTD) | $291 million |
Adam Foroughi | AppLovin (NASDAQ:APP) | $271 million |
Nikesh Arora | Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ:PANW) | $266 million |
Artificial Intelligence
5. Safra A. Catz, Oracle: $304 million
Catz stepped in as CEO of software company Oracle (ORCL -0.80%) in 2014 after co-founder Larry Ellison resigned from the role. According to SEC filings, Catz has earned a base salary of $950,000 since 2012.
In the fiscal year ending May 31, 2024, Catz also received a cash bonus of $5.2 million. The rest of her compensation consists primarily of equity awards under a plan that has been in place since fiscal 2018. The plan vests stock options when the company meets market capitalization and operational targets.
6. Brian Chesky, Airbnb: $303 million
Chesky is the co-founder and CEO of Airbnb (ABNB -0.83%). In 2023, he earned an annual salary of $1 plus $295,125 in miscellaneous compensation. The rest of his earnings relate to changes in the value of vested and unvested equity awards.
Chesky's personal net worth is estimated at $12.6 billion. Like Armstrong, Chesky has signed the Giving Pledge, committing to donate the net proceeds of his CEO pay to charitable causes.
Highly paid nonprofit CEOs
In the nonprofit sector, well-compensated CEOs don't make hundreds of millions -- but some bring home several million annually. Among that elite group are:
- Selwyn Vickers, president/CEO of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Vickers earned more than $5.7 million, including a bonus and incentive compensation of over $2.4 million, in fiscal 2023.
- Robert Stone, CEO of City of Hope & Affiliates. Stone earned nearly $4.6 million, including a bonus and incentive compensation of more than $2.2 million, in fiscal 2023.
- Nancy Brown, CEO of the American Heart Association. Brown earned almost $4.4 million, including almost $3.2 million from a bonus and incentive compensation, for the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2024.
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