While most Americans worry about rent, these CEOs are raking in tens — sometimes hundreds — of millions. Stock-heavy packages, bonuses, and perk-loaded deals have sent executive pay soaring yet again in 2025.
This year’s top earners didn’t just get rich — they widened the gap between corner office and cubicle to record levels.
Here’s a look at the most jaw-dropping CEO paychecks filed this year.
Patrick W. Smith – Axon Enterprise
The guy behind Taser and body camera tech took home an eye-watering $164.5 million, mostly in long-term stock awards. It’s the biggest CEO payday of the year — by a wide margin.
Brian Niccol – Starbucks
Niccol clocked just four months on the job — and made $95.8 million. That includes a $5M signing bonus and nearly $90M in equity. That’s about 6,600 times what a median Starbucks employee makes.
Lawrence Culp Jr. – General Electric
Culp pulled in $87.4 million, tying for second in total reported CEO pay. His performance-based stock award makes up most of it — and it’s contingent on meeting aggressive growth targets.
Stephen Hemsley – UnitedHealth (Returning CEO)
Back at the helm, Hemsley is set to earn $61 million over three years. It’s mostly stock options — but enough to remind everyone that stepping down doesn’t always mean stepping back.
David Zaslav – Warner Bros. Discovery
Despite WBD losing $11.5 billion last year, Zaslav earned $52 million. His board isn’t thrilled, and investor groups have raised red flags — but the check cleared.
David Solomon – Goldman Sachs
Base pay was $39 million, but throw in restricted stock units and Solomon’s total potential payout rockets past $119 million. He’s being paid to stick around — whether Wall Street likes it or not.
George Kurtz – CrowdStrike
Kurtz made $35 million, with perks like private jet access and race car sponsorships. Yes, he owns the race car. Tech security isn’t the only thing going fast.
Sumit Singh – Chewy
Singh’s $29.3 million haul included fancy cars and over a million in personal security. The pet supply CEO might be the best-paid person buying kibble in bulk.
Vaibhav Taneja – Tesla (CFO)
Taneja landed a massive $139 million package — making him one of the highest-paid finance executives ever. Tesla loves its headline-grabbing comp plans, and this one delivers.
Robyn Denholm – Tesla (Chairwoman)
She didn’t make it all this year, but Denholm has earned $682 million since 2014, making her the most highly paid board chair in U.S. public company history.
