Overview

• Half of the more than 400 S&P 500 CEOs who led their companies for at least a year earned $17.1 million or more in 2024, marking a record median package.
• Axon Enterprise CEO Rick Smith topped the list with a $164.53 million compensation package driven largely by performance-based stock awards.
• GE Aerospace’s Lawrence Culp Jr. and Blackstone’s Stephen Schwarzman ranked second and third with $88.95 million and $84.03 million respectively.
• Eighteen executives saw their total compensation more than double from the previous year, reflecting expanded reliance on equity awards.
• Average U.S. worker pay rose 2% to $66,622 in 2024, leaving CEOs earning roughly 290 times that level and highlighting a growing wage divide.