Being a CEO and running a company is no easy task; it requires a lot of hard work, commitment, and willingness to tackle challenges head-on. Besides, their business acumen or lack thereof can significantly impact the company’s success or failure. If something goes wrong, the CEO is one of the key individuals held accountable to the board and stakeholders, and for good reason. After all, most successful CEOs receive a hefty paycheck for their role.
Elon Musk – Tesla
Arguably one of the most popular CEOs in the world right now, Elon Musk is also the highest-paid in the country. Despite having several companies in his portfolio, such as SpaceX and X (formerly Twitter), it is his role as the CEO of the EV car company Tesla that makes him stand at the top. Interestingly, Musk does not receive a high salary for his work at Tesla. Instead, most of his earnings are in the form of performance-based stock options. His annual earnings as the CEO of Tesla are estimated to be somewhere around $23 billion.
Robert Scaringe – Rivian Automotive
Although not as talked-about as Tesla, Rivian Automotive is a successful electric vehicle company. Robert Scaringe, who founded the company in 2009 in Florida, is also its CEO. Rivian Automotive was started with the aim of creating sustainable transport and later shifted its focus to producing electric vehicles. Its first EV was a pickup truck called R1T, launched in 2018. Despite being relatively new, the company competes with the best in the EV industry. Scaringe is the only CEO after Musk to earn a salary of over a billion dollars. His earnings as the CEO are estimated to be over $2 billion, including salary, perks, and stock options.
Tim Cook – Apple
Any list of the biggest companies in the world would be incomplete without Apple. Tim Cook, who stepped up as its CEO after Steve Jobs resigned in 2011, stands third on the list of the highest-paid CEOs in the world. With Cook as the captain, Apple’s ship has not only continued to sail steadily in the smartphone industry but has also successfully ventured into other tech areas, such as smartwatches and streaming services. Tim Cook’s earnings are estimated to be around $780 million, including his salary, stock options, and perks.
Peter Rawlinson – Lucid Motors
Lucid Motors is another player in the EV industry whose CEO earns a hefty paycheck. The company focuses on manufacturing luxury EVs that perform well while being sustainable. Its first car, the Lucid Air, was launched in October 2021. A couple of years before that, in 2019, the car company announced Peter Rawlinson as its new CEO and the new CTO. His pay is estimated to be over $570 million, inclusive of salary, perks, stock rewards, and bonuses.
Tom Siebel – C3.ai
Based in California, C3.ai is a company that specializes in enterprise AI software. Its founder and chairman, Tom Siebel, also serves as the company’s CEO. As for his earnings, a leading media company estimated that Siebel makes over $300 million for his role in C3.ai. The amount is cumulative of his salary and stock awards.
Sue Nabi – Coty
Coty is a multinational beauty and cosmetics company founded in 1904 in Paris. The company partners with several international brands and uses science and technology to create quality products. Currently, the company is led by its CEO, Sue Nabi, who assumed the role in 2020. Her pay is estimated at around $280 million, which includes her salary, perks, and stock awards.
Joe Bae – KKR
The only co-CEO on this list, Joe Bae, shares the role of the chief executive officer with Scott Nuttall. KKR, which stands for Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co., was founded in 1976. Under the leadership of Joseph Bae, the investment firm expanded into several countries across the continent, including South Korea, Japan, and Singapore. Bae’s annual income is estimated at around $280 million, including his salary, perks, bonuses, and stock awards.
Tomer Weingarten – SentinelOne
One of the biggest cybersecurity companies, SentinelOne offers several services that help secure data and devices. Besides being the CEO, Tomer Weingarten is one of the company’s founders and even its chairman. His earnings for his role are estimated to be around $275 million, including salary, bonus, and stock options. Recently, Weingarten was reported to have sold over $3 million worth of his stocks in SentinelOne.
Alex Karp – Palantir Technologies
Yet another company specializing in AI technology, Palantir Technologies is currently led by CEO Alex Karp, who is also one of the founders. Alex is reported to have surpassed a net worth of $1 billion. For his role as the CEO, his pay is estimated to be around $260 million, which includes stock awards and salary.