Overview

• Jim Anderson, CEO of Coherent Corp., earned $101.5 million in 2024, making him the highest-paid U.S. CEO according to the Equilar 100 study.
• Anderson's compensation was almost entirely stock-based, with equity awards accounting for 99.4% of his pay package.
• He surpassed prominent CEOs like Starbucks' Brian Niccol ($95.8 million), Microsoft's Satya Nadella ($79.1 million), and Apple's Tim Cook ($74.6 million).
• Median CEO pay for 2024 rose to $25.6 million, a 9.5% increase from the previous year, with stock awards making up nearly three-quarters of total compensation.
• A joint report by Oxfam and the International Trade Union Confederation warns of widening income inequality, noting CEO pay has risen 50% since 2019, while worker wages have barely increased.