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FT Estimate Puts Lagarde’s 2024 Pay Far Above ECB Figure, Reviving Transparency Scrutiny

Calls for stricter pay transparency at the ECB intensify following the report.

Overview

  • The Financial Times estimates Christine Lagarde’s 2024 total compensation at about €726,000, roughly 56% above the ECB’s published base salary of €466,000.
  • The calculation includes around €135,000 in non-cash benefits and about €125,000 for her role on the BIS governing board, while pension and insurance contributions were not quantified due to missing data.
  • The ECB did not validate the estimate, saying the president’s pay was set at the bank’s founding and that its disclosures are consistent with other international public institutions.
  • Coverage highlights that Lagarde’s pay dwarfs U.S. Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s legally capped salary of roughly €173,000, with differences shaped by distinct legal and institutional frameworks.
  • MEP Fabio de Masi criticizes the level of disclosure and urges company-style reporting standards; the FT projects Lagarde could receive up to €6.5 million over eight years and a pension near €178,000 from 2030.