How CEO Pay Stacked Up in 2025Key TakeawaysElon Musk’s 2025 compensation package was valued at $132.3 billion, roughly 153 times the second-highest package and nearly 36 times the other nine top-10 packages combined.Nine of the top 10 highest-paid CEOs received compensation packages valued at $100 million or more.Median compensation for the 100 highest-paid CEOs reached $39.4 million in 2025, up 35.8% from 2024.America’s highest-paid CEOs received some extraordinary compensation packages in 2025, driven largely by major equity awards.This graphic ranks leading U.S. CEOs by total compensation awarded during the year, and it comes from Equilar and The New York Times. Compensation includes salary, bonuses, stock and option awards, and other benefits. Stock and option awards are valued at grant date, meaning these figures do not necessarily represent cash received or gains ultimately realized by executives.Ranking CEOs by Compensation in 2025The below table breaks down the top 25 CEOs by compensation awarded:RankCEOCompanyCompensation, 20251Elon MuskTesla$132.3B2Dylan FieldFigma$864M3Shankh MitraWelltower$821M4Kasra NejatianOpendoor$741M5RJ ScaringeRivian$403M6Niraj ShahWayfair$281M7Hock TanBroadcom$205M8David ZaslavWarner Bros. Discovery$165M9David SolomonGoldman Sachs$119M10Nikesh AroraPalo Alto Networks$100M11Christopher R. BrittChime Financial$99M12Satya NadellaMicrosoft$96M13Jane FraserCitigroup$96M14Charles W. ScharfWells Fargo$95M15Lip-Bu TanIntel$93M16Robin A. VinceBNY Mellon$83M17Mark D. McClainSailPoint$80M18Marc N. CasperThermo Fisher Scientific$80M19Ajei S. GopalProcore Technologies$77M20Tim CookApple$74M21Gregory C. CaseAon$74M22John C. PlantHowmet Aerospace$71M23Michael P. LyonsFiserv$70M24John D. WrenOmnicom Group$70M25Michael J. AroughetiAres Management$68MWorth more than all the other pay packages on the list combined, Elon Musk’s $132.3 billion compensation package for Tesla stands out.But unlike a conventional salary or cash bonus, that figure represents the grant-date value of a long-term Tesla stock award. How much Musk ultimately receives depends on Tesla reaching a series of ambitious milestones over the next 10 years.How Musk’s $132 Billion Pay Package WorksAccording to regulatory filings, Musk’s performance award is divided into 12 stock tranches. Each generally requires Tesla to hit both a market capitalization target and an operational target.Tesla’s targets span both its market value and operating performance. The market cap milestones rise from $2 trillion to $8.5 trillion, while the operational milestones cover vehicles, self-driving car subscriptions, robots, robotaxis, and Adjusted EBITDA.Elon Musk's CEO Performance Award (2025)CategoryMilestonesTesla market cap$2T to $8.5T across 12 levelsVehicles20M deliveredFSD10M active subscriptionsRobots1M deliveredRobotaxis1M in commercial operationAdjusted EBITDA$50B to $400BWhat Musk Gets for Hitting the TargetsEach completed tranche represents shares equal to roughly 1% of Tesla’s adjusted share count and gives Musk the ability to direct the voting rights associated with those earned shares.However, earning those voting rights is different from receiving the full economic benefit of the shares. Musk generally must remain in continuous service at Tesla through the applicable 7.5- or 10-year vesting period before the shares vest.The final tranche requires Tesla to reach an $8.5 trillion market capitalization and complete all 12 operational milestones.What the $132 Billion Figure Means for MuskImportantly, the $132.3 billion figure is the grant-date value assigned to Musk’s compensation package, not cash paid to him in 2025.As of September 2026, Forbes ranked Musk as the world’s richest person, with an estimated net worth of roughly $923 billion. His wealth includes significant holdings in Tesla and SpaceX, alongside interests in other businesses.Several CEOs Received Nine-Figure PackagesEven without Tesla, executive compensation reached extraordinary levels in 2025.Figma CEO Dylan Field received the second-largest package at $864 million, followed by Welltower CEO Shankh Mitra at $821 million and Opendoor CEO Kasra Nejatian at $741 million.Rivian’s RJ Scaringe ranked fifth at $403 million, while Wayfair CEO Niraj Shah received $281 million.Across the 100 highest-paid CEOs, median compensation reached $39.4 million in 2025, up 35.8% from the previous year.Learn More on the Voronoi App If you enjoyed today’s post, check out What’s Behind Elon Musk’s $1 Trillion Net Worth on Voronoi.