Ever wondered who the highest-paid CEOs in the world are? Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is the highest-ranking position in a company and it is not surprising that they take home a large chunk of money as benefits and salaries.
Although every company differs, CEOs are often saddled with the responsibility of expanding the company, driving profitability and improving share price in the case of public companies. In fact, CEOs manage the overall operations of a company.
Across many companies in the world, CEOs are elected by the board of directors and are accountable to the board and shareholders of the company. In addition to their salary, CEOs are also entitled to several financial benefits and compensations. Stay glued, as we explore the list of highest-paid CEOs in the world
Top 10 Highest-Paid CEOs in the World 2023
Below is the list of the top 10 highest-paid CEOs in the world ranking in ascending order.
10. Amir Dan Rubin
- Salary – $199 Million
- Company – 1Life Healthcare, Inc. (One Medical)
- Nationality: United States
Amir Dan Rubin is the President and CEO of 1Life Healthcare, Inc. As the CEO of 1Life Healthcare Inc., Rubin made $199 million in total compensation.
9. Chad Richison
- Salary – $220 Million
- Company – Paycom
- Nationality: United States
Chad Richison is the President and CEO of Paycom, an online payroll software company. As the CEO of Paycom, Richison earns a salary and bonus of $829,000 in addition to perks worth $736,000. He also has a total compensation package of $220 million which is made up of stock awards. Interestingly, Richison can only access the shares when Paycom reaches certain share price targets.
8. Tim Cook
- Salary – $265 Million
- Company – Apple Inc.
- Nationality: United States
Tim Cook is the co-founder and CEO of Apple Inc. Following the demise of the company’s co-founder, Steve Jobs, Cook took over the company as her CEO. Cook has been on the list of highest-paid CEOs for several years. He has a total annual compensation of about $265 million. Cook earns an annual salary of $3 million with $10.7 million bonus and $250 million in stock awards.
7. Alex Karp
- Salary – $369 Million
- Company – Palantir Technologies
- Nationality: United States
Alex Karp is one of the highest-paid CEOs in the world. Karp is the co-founder and CEO of the software firm Palantir Technologies. The company went public in 2020, thereafter, Karp earned more than $250 million in stock and option awards. Karp has an annual salary of $1.1 million in addition to perks valued at $3.1 million.
6. Robert Antokol
- Salary – $372 Million
- Company – Playtika Holding Corp.
- Nationality: Israel
Robert Antokol is the CEO and co-founder of Playtika, an Israel-based digital entertainment company that specializes in the development and publication of mobile casino games. Antokol is one of the highest-earning CEOs in the world. He reportedly earned $372 million as compensation from the company.
5. Eric Wu
- Salary – $388 Million
- Company – OpenDoor Technologies
- Nationality: United States
Eric Wu is the co-founder and CEO of Opendoor Technologies. Opendoor went public in December 2020, and the initial public offering added to his compensation which jumped by 134,000%. The majority of his $388 million pay package is comprised of sock awards. Although he earns a salary of $189,000, he earns more via compensation.
4. Douglas Hirsch
- Salary – $497 Million
- Company – GoodRx
- Nationality: United States
Douglas Hirsch is the co-founder and co-CEO of GoodRx. Hirsch is one of the highest-paid CEO in the world. He earns the same salary, bonus and stock awards as his co-CEO, Bezdek. The only difference in the total compensation packages between the two is related to perks.
3. Trevor Bezdek
- Salary – $497 Million
- Company – GoodRx
- Nationality: United States
Sitting at number three on our list of highest-paid CEOs is Trevor Bezdek. Trevor Bezdek is the co-founder and co-CEO of GoodRx, a company that helps lower the cost of prescription drugs in the United States. Although he has an annual salary and bonus totalling $980,000, Bezdek also received nearly $500 million in stock awards.
2. Mike Pykosz
- Salary – $568 Million
- Company – Oak Street Health
- Nationality: United States
Second on the list of highest-paid CEO in the world is Mike Pykosz. Mike Pykosz is the co-founder and CEO of Oak Street Health, a company that operated primary care facilities for seniors on Medicare. Although Mike earns a salary of $580,000, he was granted stock and option awards associated with prior years’ compensation.
1. Elon Musk
- Salary – $6.65 Billion
- Company – Tesla Inc., SpaceX
- Nationality: South Africa, United States
The highest-paid CEO in the world is no other person than the world’s richest man, Elon Musk. Musk is the founder and CEO of SpaceX, CEO of Tesla Inc., founder of The Boring Company and co-founder of Neuralink and OpenAI. Although Elon Musk does not collect a salary from Tesla, he earns stock options when the company reaches certain market capitalization and growth milestones.
