Media Center Press Releases

Highest-Paid CEOs: A New Top 10 Emerges

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REDWOOD CITY, CA (April 11, 2019)—According to the new Equilar 100 study, which identifies CEO pay at the largest 100 U.S. companies to file proxy statements before March 31, total CEO compensation reached $15.6 million in fiscal year 2018. At the median, this is a 0.6% decrease from 2017. Mark Hurd of Oracle, who was awarded total compensation of more than $108 million in 2018, was the highest-paid CEO in the study.

The previous year’s study revealed that total CEO compensation increased at the median from $15.0 million in 2016 to $15.7 million in 2017. While many of the companies in the Equilar 100 are consistent from year to year, due to changes in revenue and floating filing dates the list is not the same every year.

As 2018 was the first year all Equilar 100 companies were required to report the ratio of CEO pay to that of a median employee under the SEC’s disclosure requirement, the median ratio was 254: 1. In comparison to 2017, the ratio increased from 235:1. However, in 2017, just 69 Equilar 100 companies disclosed the ratio because the disclosure was required for only those companies whose fiscal year began on or after January 1, 2017.

As was the case in the previous year, Warren Buffett recorded the lowest CEO pay ratio at 7:1. Buffet was awarded an annual compensation of $388,968 in 2018.

Women represent less than 10% of Equilar 100 CEOs, as nine women held a chief executive position in 2018—this is an increase from eight in 2017. Among the nine, three are on the top 20 highest-paid on the list. Safra Catz of Oracle, second on the list, was awarded $108.3 million in 2018.

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About the Equilar 100

The Equilar 100 includes the largest U.S.-listed companies by revenue to file annual proxy statements before April 1 to provide an early look at CEO pay trends for 2017. With thousands of companies filing in the month of April, Equilar’s annual study on the 200 Highest-Paid CEOs overall will be forthcoming in several weeks.

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About Equilar

Equilar is the leading provider of Board Intelligence Solutions. Its data-driven platforms, BoardEdge and Insight, provide tools for board recruiting, business development, executive compensation and shareholder engagement. Companies of all sizes, including 70% of the Fortune 500 and institutional investors representing over trillion in assets, rely on Equilar for their most important boardroom decisions. Equilar also hosts industry-leading board education symposiums, conducts comprehensive custom research services and publishes award-winning thought leadership. Founded in 2000, Equilar is cited regularly by Associated Press, Bloomberg, CNBC, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and other leading media outlets. Visit www.equilar.com to learn more.

For more information, contact:

Amit Batish
Content Manager
Equilar, Inc.
abatish@equilar.com
650-241-6697