Amid a highly volatile and uncertain environment driven by geopolitical and trade-tariff tensions, the chief executives (CEOs), the main business drivers of big corporations, are playing a significant role in navigating risks and making strategic decisions for profits and overall success.
Despite these pressures, the position is accompanied by highly lucrative compensation packages; last year, the CEOs’ salary levels worldwide soared to unprecedented figures, driven by a mix of high base pay, lucrative stock options, and performance-based bonuses.
Last year, the CEO compensation among the largest U.S. companies continued to rise, with the median total pay package rising to $25.6 million, the annual Equilar 100 list reported, reflecting a 9.5% increase from the previous year; however, it was at a slower pace than the 11.4% growth recorded in 2023.
In 2024, the most significant driver of CEO pay growth was the rise in stock awards. Its median value rose to 40.5% year-on-year and $18.6 million, making up approximately 73% of the total median CEO compensation.
Furthermore, the 2025 Equilar 100 highlighted only six women on the list of highest-paid CEOs, with their median compensation at $24.5 million last year.
Jane Fraser of Citigroup was the highest-paid woman CEO, earning .1 million in total compensation.
Top 10 highest-paid CEOs in the US for FY 2024
At the top of the overall list was Jim Anderson, the CEO of Coherent, whose total compensation amounted to $101.5 million. Following next is Starbucks’ CEO, Brian Niccol, who assumed the role in September 2024, has a total compensation of $95.8 million.
For both, more than 90% of their compensation came from long-term equity awards.
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In a notable mention, the list features four Indian-origin CEOs leading major U.S. companies: Satya Nadella of Microsoft, Nikesh Arora of Palo Alto Networks, Shantanu Narayen of Adobe, and Rajiv Ramaswami of Nutanix, highlighting the growing presence and impact of Indian-origin leaders in global business.
