How Do CEOs and Other Executives Really Get Rich?

Group 1 - Elon Musk's potential $1 trillion compensation plan proposed by Tesla's board would be the largest corporate pay package in history if approved [1] - The median pay for CEOs was reported at $206,420 annually as of May 2024, with median pay for all top executives at $105,350 [2] - The size and complexity of a company significantly influence executive compensation, with larger companies typically offering higher salaries and additional benefits [4][5] Group 2 - In 2024, CEOs at S&P 500 firms earned an average total compensation of $18.9 million annually, which is over 90 times higher than the typical CEO pay [6] - The average compensation breakdown for a typical S&P 500 CEO includes a salary of $1,265,452, bonuses of $3,918,737, and restricted stock valued at $8,968,909 [7] - The majority of wealth for the richest CEOs comes from bonuses, stock holdings, and other incentives rather than base salary [6]