- By Ajeet Kumar
- Sat, 03 May 2025 12:18 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
CEOs of major global companies earn huge amounts, and their pay keeps rising. In India, the average CEO salary is around INR 22 lakh per year, while in the US, it's about USD 3,77,000 (INR 3.24 crore), according to Glassdoor. These huge sums aren't just basic salaries, they include big stock awards and bonuses tied to strong company performance. This story explores the 14 highest-paid CEOs worldwide, including famous names like Elon Musk, Satya Nadella, Sundar Pichai, and Tim Cook.
From tech giants to finance leaders, these CEOs have careers that their companies believe justify their sky-high pay. Notably, CEO pay often includes salary, bonuses, stock options, and other benefits.
Who Are the Top-Earning CEOs Today? A Quick Look
The highest-paid CEOs lead tech and media giants, with some from finance and other industries. Most are from the US and run world-famous companies.
Several CEOs of Indian origin, like Sundar Pichai and Satya Nadella, stand out, showing the global influence of Indian talent. Many of these leaders earn massive stock awards, pushing their pay to record-breaking levels.
| CEO | Company | Estimated Net Worth |
| 1. Elon Musk | Tesla, Twitter | $386.5 billion |
| 2. Tim Cook | Apple | $2.4 billion |
| 3. Jensen Huang | NVIDIA | $117 billion |
| 4. Reed Hastings | Netflix | $6.3 billion |
| 5. Marc Benioff | Salesforce | $10 billion |
| 6. Leonard Schleifer | Regeneron Pharmaceuticals | $397 million |
| 7. Satya Nadella | Microsoft | $1.4 billion |
| 8. Robert (Bobby) Kotick | Activision Blizzard | $870 million |
| 9. Hock E. Tan | Broadcom | $1.42 billion |
| 10. Sundar Pichai | $1.3 billion | |
| 11. Jon Winkelried | TPG (private equity) | $61.0 million |
| 12. Harvey M. Schwartz | The Carlyle Group (PE) | $246.3 million |
| 13. Nikesh Arora | Palo Alto Networks | $1.5 billion |
| 14. Sue Y. Nabi | Coty | $218 million |
Sources: Forbes, Bloomberg, and company filings from late 2024/early 2025. These are used to estimate personal wealth, which may change over time.
(Note: INR conversions in the blog may vary due to changes in currency exchange rates.)
READ: India Vs Pakistan: Top CEOs And Their Net Worths Revealed In 2025
Indian-origin CEOs
1. Sundar Pichai: CEO of Alphabet Inc. and Google
(REUTERS)
Born in Tamil Nadu, India
One of the highest-paid CEOs in the world.
His total compensation in recent years has exceeded $200 million, depending on stock awards.
Oversees Google, YouTube, Android, and other major tech platforms under Alphabet.
2. Satya Nadella: Chairman and CEO of Microsoft
(REUTERS)
-Born in Hyderabad, India
-Led Microsoft’s transformation toward cloud computing and AI.
-His compensation has reached over $50 million annually in recent years.
-Widely credited with revitalizing Microsoft’s global dominance.
3. Shantanu Narayen: Chairman and CEO of Adobe Inc.
(REUTERS)
-Born in Hyderabad, India
Has driven Adobe’s pivot to a subscription-based model, significantly boosting its valuation.
Earns around $40–50 million per year through salary, bonuses, and stock.
Known for leading innovation in digital media and marketing software.
