Two Indian-origin Chief Executive Officers have made it into the top 10 of the world’s highest-paid CEOs from S&P 500 companies. According to recent reports, Nikesh Arora, CEO of Palo Alto Networks Inc, ranks within the top 10, earning $151.4 million, equivalent to ₹12.73 billion (₹1,273.05 crore). Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft Corp, also features on the list, with an annual pay of $48.5 million, or ₹4.07 billion (₹407.85 crore).
Additionally, other notable Indian-origin CEOs like Ravi Kumar of Cognizant Technology Solutions and Shantanu Narayen of Adobe Inc. are also highlighted for their significant earnings. In the past decade, executive compensation in S&P 500 companies has surged by more than $4 million, bringing the average CEO salary to $17.7 million in 2023. In stark contrast, the average US worker saw a much smaller pay increase of $18,240 over the same period, with the median salary now at $65,470 for 2023.
In terms of the highest-paid CEOs in 2023, the list is led by Hock Tan of Broadcom Inc, earning $161.8 million. Others in the top 10 include Stephen Schwarzman of Blackstone Inc with $119.7 million, Christopher Winfrey of Charter Communications at $89.1 million, and Tim Cook of Apple Inc, who received $63.2 million in compensation.
