Peter MokoenaThe highest earning CEOs in the world are also the leading figures in their fields of business; they control the largest companies, and dictate the direction of their markets because they are visionaries, strategists, and power brokers steering billion-dollar empires.
Their decisions ripple across industries, influence markets, and shape the future of technology, finance, entertainment, and beyond. And their compensation? It reflects the scale of their impact.
From Silicon Valley disruptors to Wall Street moguls, each profile offers a glimpse into the minds and money behind the world’s most influential companies. These are the executives who turn vision into value—and earn staggering sums in the process.
Highest Earning CEOs In The World
1. Elon Musk – CEO, Tesla / SpaceX / X
With a jaw-dropping $56 billion in compensation, Musk tops the list. His pay structure is tied to ambitious performance milestones, not a traditional salary. From electric vehicles to Mars missions and social media shakeups, Musk’s empire spans industries. His bold leadership style and relentless innovation make him the ultimate disruptor.
2. Jon Winkelried – CEO, TPG
Winkelried earned $198.7 million leading private equity giant TPG. A former Goldman Sachs co-president, he’s known for strategic deal-making and expanding TPG’s global footprint. His compensation reflects the firm’s strong returns and aggressive growth in alternative assets.
3. Harvey M. Schwartz – CEO, The Carlyle Group
Schwartz raked in $186.99 million in 2025. As head of one of the world’s largest private equity firms, he’s credited with streamlining operations and boosting investor confidence. His Wall Street pedigree and sharp financial instincts drive Carlyle’s global influence.
4. Hock E. Tan – CEO, Broadcom
Tan earned $161.8 million, steering Broadcom through major acquisitions and semiconductor dominance. Known for his disciplined management and bold M&A strategy, Tan transformed Broadcom into a tech powerhouse. His pay reflects shareholder value creation and operational excellence.
5. Nikesh Arora – CEO, Palo Alto Networks
Arora’s $151.4 million package underscores his success in cybersecurity. A former Google exec, he’s led Palo Alto Networks into cloud security leadership. His aggressive expansion and innovation in threat detection have made the company a Wall Street darling.
6. Sue Y. Nabi – CEO, Coty
With $149.4 million in earnings, Nabi is one of the highest-paid female CEOs globally. She revitalized Coty’s brand portfolio, focusing on sustainability and luxury. Her visionary leadership in beauty and fragrance has redefined Coty’s market position.
7. Satya Nadella – CEO, Microsoft
Nadella earned $79.1 million, continuing his legacy of transforming Microsoft into a cloud-first, AI-driven juggernaut. His leadership has doubled the company’s market cap and positioned it at the forefront of enterprise tech. Nadella’s calm, strategic style is widely admired.
8. Tim Cook – CEO, Apple
Cook’s $74.6 million reflects his steady hand at Apple’s helm. He’s expanded the product ecosystem, grown services revenue, and maintained Apple’s brand prestige. Cook’s operational brilliance and quiet charisma have kept Apple at the top of the tech world.
9. David Zaslav – CEO, Warner Bros. Discovery
Zaslav earned $49.7 million while navigating the complex merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery. His bold moves in streaming and content strategy aim to challenge Netflix and Disney. Zaslav’s compensation mirrors the scale of his media empire ambitions.
10. Marc Benioff – CEO, Salesforce
Benioff brought in $39.6 million, continuing to champion cloud CRM innovation. A vocal advocate for stakeholder capitalism, he blends tech leadership with social impact. Under his watch, Salesforce has grown into a global enterprise software leader.
11. Reed Hastings – Executive Chairman, Netflix
Hastings earned $34.7 million in 2025. Though he stepped down as CEO, his influence remains strong. He pioneered streaming and transformed Netflix into a global entertainment titan. His compensation reflects continued strategic oversight and innovation in content delivery.
12. Jensen Huang – CEO, NVIDIA
Huang brought in $34.3 million, riding the AI and GPU wave. His visionary leadership positioned NVIDIA as the backbone of AI computing. From gaming to data centers, Huang’s impact is seismic, and his pay mirrors the company’s explosive growth.
13. Bobby Kotick – CEO, Activision Blizzard
Kotick earned $14.6 million while overseeing blockbuster franchises like Call of Duty and World of Warcraft. His tenure has been marked by both massive profits and controversy, but his strategic acumen in gaming remains undeniable.
14. Leonard Schleifer – CEO, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals
Schleifer made $12 million, leading Regeneron’s biotech breakthroughs. Under his guidance, the company developed cutting-edge treatments for cancer, COVID-19, and more. His compensation reflects scientific innovation and strong shareholder returns.
15. Sundar Pichai – CEO, Alphabet (Google)
Pichai earned $8.8 million, a modest figure compared to peers, but his influence is vast. He oversees Google’s sprawling empire—from search and ads to AI and quantum computing. His calm demeanor and strategic clarity keep Alphabet at the tech frontier.
16. Brian Niccol – CEO, Starbucks
Niccol earned $95.8 million, leading Starbucks through digital transformation and global expansion. His focus on mobile ordering, sustainability, and brand experience has reinvigorated the coffee giant. His pay reflects strong performance and cultural relevance.
17. Lawrence Culp – CEO, General Electric
Culp brought in $88.9 million, steering GE through a complex restructuring. His leadership has helped stabilize the industrial giant, with renewed focus on aviation and energy. His compensation rewards turnaround success and investor confidence.
18. Ryan Saadi – CEO, Tevogen Bio Holdings
Saadi earned $87.7 million, leading a biotech firm focused on personalized immunotherapies. His compensation reflects bold innovation in healthcare and the promise of next-gen treatments. A rising star in the biotech world.
19. Michael Arougheti – CEO, Ares Management
Arougheti made $85.4 million, driving growth in alternative investments. His leadership has expanded Ares’ global reach in private equity, credit, and real assets. His pay reflects strong fund performance and strategic expansion.
20. Robert Antokol – CEO, Playtika
Antokol earned $84.1 million, leading the mobile gaming company to global success. Known for data-driven game development and monetization strategies, he’s built Playtika into a digital entertainment powerhouse.
21. Stephen Schwarzman – CEO, Blackstone
Schwarzman earned $84 million, leading the world’s largest alternative investment firm. Known for his deal-making prowess and global influence, he’s shaped private equity and real estate markets. His compensation reflects Blackstone’s massive asset growth and investor returns.
22. Jason Les – CEO, Riot Platforms
Les earned $83.5 million, steering Riot through the volatile world of crypto mining. A former poker pro turned blockchain executive, his leadership has positioned Riot as a major player in Bitcoin infrastructure. His pay reflects bold bets in digital assets.
23. Joseph Bae – Co-CEO, KKR
Bae earned $73 million, sharing leadership of one of the most storied private equity firms. His focus on global expansion and tech investments has kept KKR competitive. His compensation reflects strategic growth and strong fund performance.
24. Greg Lehmkuhl – CEO, Lineage Logistics
Lehmkuhl earned $69.3 million, leading the world’s largest temperature-controlled logistics company. His leadership has been critical in food supply chain resilience. His pay reflects innovation in cold storage and global logistics.
25. Ford Tamer – CEO, Lattice Semiconductor
Tamer earned $69.1 million, driving Lattice’s rise in low-power programmable chips. His strategic focus on edge computing and AI has boosted market share. His compensation reflects strong financials and tech leadership.
26. David Gitlin – CEO, Carrier Global
Gitlin earned $65.7 million, leading Carrier’s transformation post-United Technologies spin-off. His focus on smart climate solutions and sustainability has redefined the HVAC industry. His pay reflects operational success and shareholder value.
27. Ted Sarandos – Co-CEO, Netflix
Sarandos earned $61.9 million, overseeing Netflix’s content strategy and global expansion. Known for greenlighting hits and navigating streaming wars, his leadership keeps Netflix culturally dominant. His compensation reflects creative vision and subscriber growth.
28. David Simon – CEO, Simon Property Group
Simon earned $61.4 million, leading the largest retail real estate company in the U.S. His strategy blends traditional malls with experiential retail. His pay reflects resilience in a shifting consumer landscape.
29. Jeffrey Stibel – CEO, LegalZoom
Stibel earned $61.1 million, driving LegalZoom’s growth in online legal services. His tech-savvy leadership has democratized access to legal tools for individuals and small businesses. His compensation reflects innovation and market disruption.
30. Brad Jacobs – CEO, QXO
Jacobs earned $189.3 million, making him one of the highest-paid CEOs in logistics and tech. Known for building billion-dollar companies from scratch, his latest venture QXO focuses on industrial tech. His pay reflects entrepreneurial success and investor confidence.
31. Peter Gassner – CEO, Veeva Systems
Gassner earned $172.4 million, leading Veeva’s cloud-based solutions for life sciences. His compensation reflects long-term equity awards and strategic growth. A former Salesforce exec, Gassner built Veeva into a trusted platform for pharma and biotech firms worldwide.
32. Patrick “Rick” Smith – CEO, Axon Enterprise
Smith earned $164.5 million, driven by performance-based stock options. As the force behind Axon’s body cameras and law enforcement tech, he’s reshaped public safety. His pay reflects innovation and soaring stock value.
33. Sridhar Ramaswamy – CEO, Snowflake
Ramaswamy earned $101.3 million, leading Snowflake’s data cloud revolution. A former Google ad chief, he’s focused on AI-driven data platforms. His compensation reflects Snowflake’s rapid growth and enterprise adoption.
34. Peter Kern – CEO, Expedia Group
Kern earned $296.2 million in recent years, though his 2025 package was more modest. He led Expedia through pandemic recovery and digital transformation. His pay reflects bold restructuring and travel tech innovation.
35. Safra Catz – CEO, Oracle
Catz earned $129.4 million, continuing Oracle’s pivot to cloud infrastructure. Known for her sharp financial discipline, she’s helped Oracle compete with AWS and Azure. Her compensation reflects strategic acquisitions and steady growth.
36. Andy Jassy – CEO, Amazon
Jassy earned $53.4 million, steering Amazon through post-Bezos evolution. He’s focused on cloud expansion, logistics, and AI. His pay reflects the scale of Amazon’s operations and his role in shaping its future.
37. Mark Zuckerberg – CEO, Meta Platforms
Zuckerberg’s formal salary is just $1, but his total compensation includes security and stock holdings worth billions. He’s pivoted Meta toward the metaverse while maintaining dominance in social media. His wealth stems from equity, not salary.
38. Bernard Arnault – CEO, LVMH
Arnault earned over $40 million in direct compensation, but his net worth exceeds $200 billion. As the architect of luxury, he oversees brands like Louis Vuitton, Dior, and Moët. His pay reflects timeless brand stewardship and global influence.
39. Larry Ellison – CTO & Chairman, Oracle
Ellison earned $67.6 million, though most of his wealth comes from Oracle stock. As co-founder, he remains a driving force in tech strategy. His compensation reflects legacy leadership and continued innovation.
40. Darren Woods – CEO, ExxonMobil
Woods earned $35.9 million, leading one of the world’s largest energy companies. His focus on carbon capture and energy transition has shaped Exxon’s future. His pay reflects performance in a volatile global market.
41. Daniel Zhang – Former CEO, Alibaba Group
Zhang earned $34.5 million before stepping down. He led Alibaba through global expansion and cloud innovation. His compensation reflects his role in steering one of China’s most influential tech giants through regulatory shifts and market evolution.
42. Thomas Rutledge – Executive Chairman, Charter Communications
Rutledge earned $33.3 million, having transitioned from CEO to chairman. He oversaw Charter’s growth into a broadband powerhouse. His pay reflects strategic mergers and infrastructure investment in U.S. telecom.
43. Adena Friedman – CEO, Nasdaq
Friedman earned $31.7 million, leading one of the world’s most tech-forward stock exchanges. She’s championed transparency, ESG initiatives, and digital transformation. Her compensation reflects Nasdaq’s strong performance and innovation.
44. Daniel O’Day – CEO, Gilead Sciences
O’Day earned $30.9 million, guiding Gilead through major drug launches and pandemic response. His leadership in antiviral therapies and oncology has positioned Gilead as a biotech leader. His pay reflects scientific impact and shareholder value.
45. Brian Roberts – CEO, Comcast
Roberts earned $30.2 million, overseeing Comcast’s media and broadband empire. His leadership spans NBCUniversal, Xfinity, and Sky. His compensation reflects scale, content strategy, and digital infrastructure investment.
46. Mary Barra – CEO, General Motors
Barra earned $29.1 million, leading GM’s electric vehicle transformation. As the first female CEO of a major automaker, she’s pushed innovation and sustainability. Her pay reflects bold leadership and industry disruption.
47. Darren Entwistle – CEO, TELUS
Entwistle earned $28.6 million, driving TELUS’s growth in telecom and health tech. His compensation reflects strategic diversification and strong Canadian market performance.
48. Jamie Dimon – CEO, JPMorgan Chase
Dimon earned $28.3 million, continuing his reign as one of Wall Street’s most influential figures. His leadership through economic cycles and global crises has made JPMorgan a financial fortress. His pay reflects stability and strategic foresight.
49. Rosalind Brewer – Former CEO, Walgreens Boots Alliance
Brewer earned $27.8 million before stepping down. She led Walgreens through pandemic-era challenges and digital transformation. Her compensation reflects leadership in retail health and corporate diversity.
50. Thomas Siebel – CEO, C3.ai
Siebel earned $27.1 million, championing enterprise AI adoption. A veteran of the software industry, he’s built C3.ai into a key player in industrial AI. His pay reflects innovation and long-term vision.
Closing: More Than Just Paychecks
While the numbers are jaw-dropping, the stories behind these CEOs go far deeper. Their earnings reflect not just business acumen, but the ability to lead, innovate, and deliver results in fiercely competitive environments. Whether they’re building electric cars, streaming empires, or cloud computing platforms, these leaders are redefining what it means to run a global enterprise.
As debates around executive pay and corporate responsibility continue, this list serves as both a snapshot of modern capitalism and a tribute to the individuals who’ve climbed to its summit. Here’s to the CEOs who’ve turned ambition into achievement—and compensation into conversation.