Executive pay packages have rebounded sharply in the post‑pandemic boom, turbo‑charged by record‑setting stock awards, one‑off retention grants, and—in the case of private‑equity titans—lavish dividend flows. 2024 proxy statements show that a handful of CEOs and executive chairmen now earn in a single year what it once took a decade (or more) to amass. Below, you’ll find a data‑driven countdown—from No. 10 to No. 1—of the world’s highest‑paid chief executives and chairmen, based on the latest compensation disclosures and reputable pay studies covering FY 2024 (or the most recently reported fiscal year). Figures are rounded to the nearest $100,000.
10. W. Gregory Lehmkuhl — Lineage Logistics
Total 2024 compensation: US $69.3 million
The cold‑storage heavyweight went public by SPAC in late 2024, and its CEO’s pay leapt nearly 500 percent, fueled by a retention‑heavy equity grant meant to steer the newly listed company through aggressive global expansion.
9. Tim Cook — Apple
Total 2024 compensation: US $74.6 million
Apple trimmed Cook’s target pay in 2023, but roaring services revenue and an AI‑hardware push allowed the board to restore a bigger stock award for FY 2024, lifting his package 18 percent year‑on‑year.
8. Satya Nadella — Microsoft
Total 2024 compensation: US $79.1 million
A blockbuster year for Azure and the OpenAI tie‑up vaulted Nadella’s long‑term stock incentives. His 63 percent raise came despite sizeable layoffs—underlining how AI optimism has re‑priced Microsoft’s top job.
7. Michael J. Arougheti — Ares Management
Total 2024 compensation: US $85.4 million
Source: https://app.boardroominsiders.com/skinny-profiles/ares-management-corporation-michael-arougheti
Private‑credit fundraising hit records in 2024; Ares rewarded its co‑founder with an equity‑heavy grant worth six times his 2023 haul, keeping him aligned with investors as fee income soars.
6. H. Lawrence Culp Jr. — General Electric
Total 2024 compensation: US $87.4 million
Source: https://investor.gehealthcare.com/board-member/h-lawrenc-culp-jr
Culp’s pay reflects the final stage of GE’s three‑way breakup. A front‑loaded PSU award tied to post‑spin market caps accounts for nearly all of the 538 percent year‑over‑year jump.
5. Brian R. Niccol — Starbucks
Total 2024 compensation: US $95.8 million
Lured from Chipotle, Niccol’s four‑month signing package included $90 million in make‑whole stock awards plus a $5 million cash bonus—placing him among America’s top‑five earners despite his short tenure.
4. James R. Anderson — Coherent
Total 2024 compensation: US $101.5 million
Source: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/James-Anderson-24
Little‑known outside photonics circles, Anderson tops the Equilar 100 study’s public‑company list thanks to equity grants that exploded in value after Coherent’s share price doubled on AI‑laser demand.
3. Hock E. Tan — Broadcom
Total 2024 compensation: US $161.8 million
A five‑year “mega‑grant” approved in 2023 continues to vest, keeping Tan’s pay above $160 million even without a 2024 cash bonus. The award is tied to aggressive revenue and total‑return hurdles through 2027.
2. Patrick W. Smith — Axon Enterprise
Total 2024 compensation: US $164.5 million
Source: https://nam.org/people/patrick-smith/
Axon’s founder secured a Tesla‑style pay scheme: if the maker of Tasers and body cams hits a sequence of ambitious market‑cap milestones, Smith could ultimately realize far more than the grant‑date value shown here.
1. Stephen A. Schwarzman — Blackstone
Total 2024 take‑home: Just over US $1 billion
Blackstone’s billionaire chairman draws a modest “salary” but collects mammoth carried‑interest payments and dividends on his 18 percent stake. For 2024 he pocketed about US $253 million in carried interest plus US $782 million in dividends—making him the only corporate leader to cross the 10‑figure threshold two years running.
Conclusion
Mega‑grants, special IPO‑era awards, and private‑equity profit shares have re‑shaped the very top of the compensation league table. The gap between No. 1 and No. 10 in this ranking is a staggering 15‑to‑1, illustrating how a handful of outsized packages can skew averages. Whether boards will continue to green‑light such blockbuster deals amid growing shareholder pushback remains to be seen—but for now, executive pay shows no sign of cooling off.
