Top 10 Highest Paid CEOs In The World

Have you ever wondered who the highest paid CEOs in the world are and how much they earn? 

Author

Sindy Smith
July 19, 2024

Top 10 Highest Paid CEOs in The World

Have you ever wondered who the highest paid CEOs in the world are and just how much they earn? 

The following list may surprise you…

How We Researched and Ranked These CEOs

To find out who the highest paid CEOs in the world are, we followed a simple process. Here’s how we did it:

Collected Data from Sources: We gathered information from trusted business publications and financial reports. The main websites we used were: 

Looked at Total Compensation: We focused on the total compensation package of each CEO. This includes their base salary, bonuses, stock options, and other benefits.

Verified Information: To ensure accuracy, we cross-checked the data from multiple sources. This helped us confirm some of the figures.

Ranked the CEOs: Once we had the verified compensation details, we ranked the CEOs from highest to lowest based on their total earnings.

Recent Information: Lastly, we made sure the data we used is the most recent. It means the data we used is from the most recent fiscal year (2023).

(*) The net worth figures below vary on different sources. Net worth is notoriously hard to determine accurately as assets are hidden or placed in the name of other people in the family. As such, the numbers we used below are what we could find, but are likely far less than reality.

Top 10 Highest Paid CEOs in the World Currently

Here’s a summary of the top 10 highest and best paid CEOs in the world. 

No.

CEO

Company

Annual Salary

1.

Stephen Schwarzman

Blackstone

$896,700,000

2.

Jon Winkelried

TPG Inc.

$198,685,926

3.

Harvey M. Schwartz

The Carlyle Group Inc.

$186,994,098

4.

Hock E. Tan

Broadcom Inc.

$161,826,161

5.

Nikesh Arora

Palo Alto Networks, Inc.

$151,430,000

6.

Sue Y. Nabi

Coty Inc. (COTY)

$149,423,000

7.

Christopher Winfrey

Charter Communications

$89,000,000

8.

Will Lansing

Fair Isaac Corporation

$66,349,962

9.

Tim Cook

Apple Inc.

$63,000,000

10.

Jay Chaudhry

Zscaler

$57,775,483

Now, let’s take a detailed look at these top 10 highest paid CEOs worldwide. 

1. Stephen Schwarzman, CEO of The Blackstone Group

Age: 76
Annual Salary: $896,700,000
Net Worth: $37.7 Billion (*)

Stephen A. Schwarzman is an American billionaire businessman, chairman, and CEO of The Blackstone Group, a global private equity firm he co-founded in 1985. He is also the highest paid CEO in the world right now. Under his leadership, Blackstone has grown into one of the world’s largest alternative investment firms, renowned for its significant and diverse investment portfolio. 

According to his net worth, Schwarzman is the richest CEO on our list. His ability to foresee market trends has been a key to Blackstone's success. He is also known for his generous donations to educational institutions and the arts. His aim is to make a long-lasting positive impact on this industry as well. 

He also wrote a best-selling memoir. In this book he shared insights from his successful career and gave advice to aspiring business leaders. Lastly, he is a renowned philanthropist who has donated wholeheartedly to various causes which are primarily focused on education and cultural institutions.

2. Jon Winkelried, CEO of TPG Inc.

Age: 64
Annual Salary: $198,685,926
Net Worth: $135 Million (*)

Jon Winkelried is a prominent American financial executive. He has had a distinguished career in the finance industry, notably serving as the co-president of Goldman Sachs from 2006 until his unexpected retirement in 2009. Winkelried played a key role in various significant transactions and strategies at Goldman Sachs.

Winkelried is currently the CEO of TPG Inc. He joined TPG as co-CEO in October 2015 and became the sole CEO in May 2021. Under his leadership, TPG has continued to grow and innovate in the private equity sector.

Jon Winkelried is married to Abby Lipsey. The family resides on two ranches in Meeker, Colorado, where Winkelried enjoys the sport of cutting. Just recently, TPG granted CEO Jon Winkelried a $450 million incentive package to retain him and motivate continued strong performance. This package includes stock options and performance-based rewards.

3. Harvey M. Schwartz, CEO of The Carlyle Group

Age: 59
Annual Salary: $186,994,098
Net Worth: $407 Million (*)

Harvey M. Schwartz is the CEO of The Carlyle Group. This group is a leading global private equity firm. He was previously the President and co-COO of Goldman Sachs from 2016 to 2018, and as CFO from 2012 to 2016. Schwartz began his career at J.B. Hanauer & Co. Later, he worked at Citigroup before joining Goldman Sachs in 1997.

He has dedicated significant resources to mental health initiatives through his involvement with One Mind. It is a nonprofit focused on collaborative research and advocacy for brain health. Schwartz is also committed to developing business leaders for the future. He also founded a program at Rutgers University to provide students with real-life financial experience in financial services.

4. Hock E. Tan, CEO of Broadcom Inc.

Age: 71
Annual Salary: $161,826,161
Net Worth: $293 Million (*)

Hock E. Tan is a Malaysian-born business executive and the CEO of Broadcom Inc. Before Broadcom, he held leadership roles at various companies, including General Motors, PepsiCo, and Integrated Circuit Systems.

Tan is also known for his significant philanthropic contributions. Some of this is towards autism research and support. He has also made some substantial donations to MIT, Cornell University and Harvard Medical School.

Tan is known for living a lavish life. Like any other highest-paid CEO, he enjoys luxury cars and fancy restaurants. Even though he likes these high-end things, he keeps a low profile. He is also dedicated to charity work.

5. Nikesh Arora, CEO of Palo Alto Networks

Age: 56
Annual Salary: $151,430,000
Net Worth: $151.43 million (*)

Nikesh Arora is an Indian-American business executive and the CEO of Palo Alto Networks. He previously served as the President and CEO of SoftBank Corp. His previous ventures include being Chief Business Officer at Google and T-Mobile. 

Arora is known for his strategic insights and leadership in technology and telecommunications. Under his leadership, Palo Alto Networks has strengthened its cybersecurity offerings and achieved substantial revenue growth. 

6. Sue Y. Nabi, CEO of Coty Inc.

Age: 56
Annual Salary: $149,423,000
Net Worth: $304 Million (*)

Sue Y. Nabi, CEO of Coty Inc., is a renowned beauty industry leader and the founder of the vegan skincare line Orveda. Nabi spent two decades at L’Oréal, holding prestigious positions such as President of both Lancôme and L’Oréal. She is known for her innovative approach to beauty.

Under Nabi, COTY has had a fresh perspective. They started focusing more on inclusivity and environmental responsibility. She has also led many initiatives to reduce the company's environmental footprint and promote ethical practices within the beauty industry.

Nabi is passionate about environmental sustainability, so she often speaks about green initiatives. She's been an advocate of a more sustainable future in the beauty industry and beyond. As the CEO of COTY, it is inevitable that she loves fashion and art. She also frequently attends high-profile events and supports various cultural activities.

7. Christopher L Winfrey, CEO of Charter Communications

Age: 50
Annual Salary: $89,000,000
Net Worth: $60 Million (*)

Christopher Winfrey, CEO of Charter Communications, has a robust background in finance. He was appointed President and CEO in December 2022 and joined the Board of Directors in November 2023. He has been the key individual in Charter's growth.

Winfrey has led significant initiatives, including the company's $5 billion rural expansion project. He holds a B.S. in accounting and an MBA from the University of Florida and has extensive experience in the cable industry, with notable roles at Unitymedia GmbH and Cablecom GmbH. 

8. William J. Lansing, CEO of Fair Isaac Corporation

Age: 63
Annual Salary: $66,349,962
Net Worth: $547 Million (*)

Will Lansing is the CEO of Fair Isaac Corporation (FICO), a position he has held since January 2012. Before joining FICO, Lansing had an extensive career in the technology and media industries. He served as the CEO and President of InfoSpace, ValueVision Media, NBC Internet, and Fingerhut Companies. 

Lansing has been on FICO's board of directors since February 2006. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Wesleyan University and a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University. Lansing is also involved in various advisory roles, serving on the global board of advisors for Operation Hope and the board of directors of SafeGraph. 

9. Tim Cook, CEO of Apple Inc.

Age: 63
Annual Salary: $63,000,000
Net Worth: $2.2 Billion (*)

Tim Cook is the CEO of Apple Inc. He joined the company in 1998. Cook initially served as Senior Vice President for Worldwide Operations. His leadership in operations played a significant role in Apple's profitability during the early 2000s, laying the groundwork for the company's future success.

In 2011, following the resignation of Steve Jobs, Cook was named CEO of Apple. Under his stewardship, Apple has launched a range of successful products, including the iPhone X, Apple Watch, and AirPods.

A surprising fact about him, which very few people know about, is that he publicly came out as gay in 2014, making him one of the most prominent openly gay CEOs in the world.

10. Jay Chaudhry, CEO of Zscaler

Age: 64
Annual Salary: $57,775,483
Net Worth: $11.5 Billion (*)

Jay Chaudhry is renowned for his role in the cybersecurity sector. He is the founder and CEO of Zscaler, a leading cloud security company that went public in 2018. Chaudhry started his entrepreneurial journey in the U.S., where he earned multiple master's degrees from the University of Cincinnati. 

He founded several successful tech companies before Zscaler. These companies include SecureIT, CipherTrust, and AirDefense. Each of these companies has made significant advancements in cybersecurity. 

Due to Chaudhry's leadership skills, Zscaler became a global leader in cloud-based security solutions. Now, this company provides services to over 40% of Fortune 500 companies. He is deeply committed to philanthropy and is focused on education and health care in underdeveloped regions.

Conclusion

The world’s highest-paid CEOs listed lead some of the most influential and successful companies, yet you might be surprised by certain well known names not on the list.

For example, you might be wondering why Elon Musk’s name is not here. It's mostly because he takes $1 as CEO, and most of his income is from shares he has in Tesla, SpaceX, and other ventures. He recently qualified for a pay out of $46 Billion, so his net worth remains very healthy.

There are many other CEOs who forgo a large salary and instead are remunerated by shares in the company. Hence they do not qualify for this list.

References

South China Morning Post. (2024). 10 of the highest-paid CEOs in the US – their annual salaries, ranked.  

Voronoiapp. (2024). The Highest Paid CEOs of S&P 500 Companies. 

Investopedia. (2024). The Highest Paid CEOs.

Salary.com (2024). Chief Executive Officer Jon Winkelried salary at TPG INC.

VnExpress International. (2024). Malaysian-born Hock Tan tops US CEO pay chart with $162M earning

Livemint. (2024). Who is Nikesh Arora? Indian-origin CEO earning more than Sundar Pichai and Mark Zuckerberg | Mint.

Fortune. (2024). Blackstone CEO Schwarzman collected $896.7 million last year.

The Hollywood Reporter. (2024). Charter CEO Chris Winfrey’s Pay Tops $89M in First Year as Top Exec. 

Salary.com. (2024). Chief Executive Officer William Lansing salary at FAIR ISAAC CORP.

Business Insider. (2024). Apple CEO Tim Cook made $63 million last year — here’s how that breaks down

Salary.com. (2024). Chief Executive Officer Jay Chaudhry salary at ZSCALER INC.