A deep dive into the top 50 highest-paid CEOs in the S&P 500 and their corresponding 3-year stock returns. Does exorbitant pay translate to outsized returns for shareholders?
| Rank | CEO / Company | Total Comp | 3-Year Return | Sector |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mr. Stephen Allen Schwarzman B.A., M.B.A. Blackstone Inc. (BX) | $125.64M | +23.6% | Financial Services |
| 2 | Mr. Joseph Y. Bae KKR & Co. Inc. (KKR) | $84.27M | +72.1% | Financial Services |
| 3 | Mr. David M. Zaslav Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. - (WBD) | $28.82M | +105.4% | Communication Services |
| 4 | Mr. Michael J. Lisman Transdigm Group Incorporated (TDG) | $28.53M | +69.2% | Industrials |
| 5 | Mr. Mark Elliot Zuckerberg Meta Platforms, Inc. (META) | $27.22M | +168.3% | Communication Services |
| 6 | Mr. Michael Rapino Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. (LYV) | $23.16M | +130.3% | Communication Services |
| 7 | Mr. Michael J. Arougheti Ares Management Corporation (ARES) | $22.75M | +25.6% | Financial Services |
| 8 | Mr. Theodore A. Sarandos Netflix, Inc. (NFLX) | $16.96M | +200.1% | Communication Services |
| 9 | Mr. Timothy D. Cook Apple Inc. (AAPL) | $16.76M | +51.7% | Technology |
| 10 | Mr. Edward H. Bastian Delta Air Lines, Inc. (DAL) | $16.16M | +72.0% | Industrials |
| 11 | Mr. Lachlan Keith Murdoch Fox Corporation (FOXA) | $15.68M | +79.7% | Communication Services |
| 12 | Mr. Lachlan Keith Murdoch Fox Corporation (FOX) | $15.68M | +77.8% | Communication Services |
| 13 | Mr. Ariel Zev Emanuel TKO Group Holdings, Inc. (TKO) | $15.63M | +89.1% | Communication Services |
| 14 | Mr. John D. Wren Omnicom Group Inc. (OMC) | $14.67M | -6.2% | Communication Services |
| 15 | Mr. William Robert Berkley Jr. W.R. Berkley Corporation (WRB) | $13.32M | +78.0% | Financial Services |
| 16 | Mr. Stephen Joseph Squeri American Express Company (AXP) | $12.89M | +86.6% | Financial Services |
| 17 | Mr. Evan G. Greenberg Chubb Limited (CB) | $12.79M | +62.7% | Financial Services |
| 18 | Mr. Laurence Douglas Fink BlackRock, Inc. (BLK) | $12.62M | +42.3% | Financial Services |
| 19 | Mr. Wendell P. Weeks Corning Incorporated (GLW) | $12.49M | +271.1% | Technology |
| 20 | Mr. Satya Nadella Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) | $12.25M | +33.1% | Technology |
| 21 | Mr. Patrick Dumont Las Vegas Sands Corp. (LVS) | $12.09M | -16.1% | Consumer Cyclical |
| 22 | Mr. Donnie D. King Tyson Foods, Inc. (TSN) | $11.84M | -1.7% | Consumer Defensive |
| 23 | Ms. Laura J. Alber Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (WSM) | $11.69M | +208.2% | Consumer Cyclical |
| 24 | Mr. David M. Solomon Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (The) (GS) | $11.45M | +139.2% | Financial Services |
| 25 | Mr. Brian R. Niccol Starbucks Corporation (SBUX) | $11.11M | -13.4% | Consumer Cyclical |
| 26 | Mr. Jen-Hsun Huang NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA) | $11.05M | +540.8% | Technology |
| 27 | Mr. Robin Antony Vince The Bank of New York Mellon Cor (BK) | $11.03M | +170.6% | Financial Services |
| 28 | Mr. Robert Alan Iger Walt Disney Company (The) (DIS) | $10.84M | -0.9% | Communication Services |
| 29 | Mr. Peter Salvatore Zaffino American International Group, I (AIG) | $10.80M | +48.4% | Financial Services |
| 30 | Mr. James D. Taiclet Jr. Lockheed Martin Corporation (LMT) | $10.71M | +44.6% | Industrials |
| 31 | Mr. J. Patrick Gallagher Jr. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (AJG) | $10.59M | +9.6% | Financial Services |
| 32 | Mr. Anthony J. Guzzi EMCOR Group, Inc. (EME) | $10.56M | +312.7% | Industrials |
| 33 | Mr. James M. Cracchiolo CPA Ameriprise Financial, Inc. (AMP) | $10.48M | +52.4% | Financial Services |
| 34 | Mr. Terrence A. Duffy CME Group Inc. (CME) | $10.37M | +70.7% | Financial Services |
| 35 | Mr. Bryan C. Hanson Solventum Corporation (SOLV) | $10.37M | -0.2% | Healthcare |
| 36 | Mr. Kevin M. Freeman Old Dominion Freight Line, Inc. (ODFL) | $10.37M | +21.1% | Industrials |
| 37 | Mr. Robert J. Thomson News Corporation (NWSA) | $10.35M | +39.8% | Communication Services |
| 38 | Mr. Robert J. Thomson News Corporation (NWS) | $10.35M | +56.1% | Communication Services |
| 39 | Mr. Sundar Pichai Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL) | $10.32M | +178.1% | Communication Services |
| 40 | Mr. Sundar Pichai Alphabet Inc. (GOOG) | $10.32M | +175.6% | Communication Services |
| 41 | Mr. Brian L. Roberts Comcast Corporation (CMCSA) | $10.20M | -17.7% | Communication Services |
| 42 | Ms. Mary T. Barra General Motors Company (GM) | $10.00M | +127.6% | Consumer Cyclical |
| 43 | Mr. Robert W. Sharps C.F.A., CPA T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. (TROW) | $9.97M | -19.5% | Financial Services |
| 44 | Mr. Charles W. Scharf Wells Fargo & Company (WFC) | $9.94M | +102.3% | Financial Services |
| 45 | Dr. Albert Bourla D.V.M., Ph.D. Pfizer, Inc. (PFE) | $9.82M | -30.4% | Healthcare |
| 46 | Mr. Marc R. Benioff Salesforce, Inc. (CRM) | $9.65M | +1.9% | Technology |
| 47 | Mr. Edward N. Pick Morgan Stanley (MS) | $9.64M | +78.1% | Financial Services |
| 48 | Mr. Patrice Jean Louis Louvet Ralph Lauren Corporation (RL) | $9.54M | +194.8% | Consumer Cyclical |
| 49 | Mr. J. Scott Kirby United Airlines Holdings, Inc. (UAL) | $9.52M | +110.2% | Industrials |
| 50 | Mr. Thomas Joseph Wilson II Allstate Corporation (The) (ALL) | $9.51M | +83.4% | Financial Services |
Our data suggests there is little correlation between the highest-paid CEOs and superior stock performance. Many CEOs earning top-tier compensation have overseen average or below-average returns.
Total compensation typically includes a base salary, stock awards, options, non-equity incentive plan compensation, and other benefits. Stock awards often make up the vast majority of CEO pay.
Data was gathered using Yahoo Finance APIs representing the S&P 500 universe. Total compensation figures reflect the most recent fiscal year available (typically 2025). The 3-year stock return was calculated comparing the closing price 3 years prior to the current price.
Westmount Fundamentals. "CEO Compensation vs Stock Performance 2026." westmountfundamentals.com/ceo-compensation, 2026.