15 Most Overpaid CEOs in America
Total compensation: $23 million
Overpaid by: $9.1 million*
Holliday has served as CEO of the New York City-based commercial real estate firm since 2004. SL Green has received poor grades on executive compensation from multiple experts on executive compensation.
*All figures for compensation and overpayment are from the 2017 edition of the report, “The 100 Most Overpaid CEOs,” by As You Know. The data is from 2016 , the last full year available.
© JAMIE FINE / Reuters
Total compensation: $22.1 million
Overpaid by: $10 million
Gorman earned several red flags, including higher pay relative to peers. He also received one of the highest annual increases in salary in 2016, as a percentage.
Total compensation: $28.6 million
Overpaid by: $21 million
Barra was named CEO of GM in late 2013, becoming the first woman to lead a major car company, but the company’s shares have struggled to return to the $40 level seen at that time.
Total compensation: $33 million
Overpaid by: $19.7 million
Immelt’s pay raises several red flags, including GE having a low return on invested capital in three of the last five years, one measure that reflects a CEO’s ability to deliver value. Immelt, who took over from Jack Welch in September 2001, is also being paid more than his peers for a lower return on corporate capital.
Total compensation: $36 million
Overpaid by: $23 million
Mayer is paid more than her peers and Yahoo has a lower return on corporate capital. Her bonus goals have also been declining, which suggests lowered expectations from the company. Mayer’s management decisions have been under fire since taking over in July 2012.
Total compensation: $28.9 million
Overpaid by: $15 million
The pharmacy chain is one of the 10 companies that have appeared on this list for the past three years. Merlo, a 30-year veteran of CVS, has been a driving force behind the company’s growth and was behind the decision to stop selling tobacco products in its stores and to rebrand itself as CVS Health.
Total compensation: $34.5 million
Overpaid by: $21 million
This is the third year that Honeywell has appeared on the list of overpaid CEOs. Cote will be stepping down as CEO in March, but will remain executive chairman of the company through 2018.
Total compensation: $28.1 million
Overpaid by: $21.7 million
Leiden may not be the only one taking home more compensation that he deserves. Board members at Vertex receive nearly $800,000 a year in compensation, twice that of board members at peer companies. Leiden has been CEO since February 2012.
Total compensation: $54.2 million
Overpaid by: $42 million.
Dauman ran Viacom for more than a decade before losing a battle for control in the summer of 2016. Over the last two years of his time as CEO, the company’s shareholders lost about a third of their invested value. Viacom received 16 red flags on various measures in the As You Sow analysis.
Total compensation: $196.5 million
Overpaid by: $121 million.
Oracle is among the 10 companies that have appeared on the list of overpaid CEOs for the past three years. The tech firm’s CEOs are overpaid by the highest dollar amount of any company on the list.
Total compensation: $47.5 million
Overpaid by: $30.6 million
This is the third year that Regeneron Pharmaceuticals has appeared on the list. The founder’s compensation is large relative to the company’s earnings before interest and taxes.
Total compensation: $39.2 million
Overpaid by: $26 million
Mathrani joined General Growth Properties as the company was emerging from bankruptcy in 2010 and refocused the mall owner it on high-end shopping centers. His name has been mentioned several times as a potential candidate for a position in the Trump administration.
Total compensation: $32.4 million
Overpaid by: $24 million
This is the third year that Zaslav has appeared on the list, but he slipped from his 2016 ranking as the number one most overpaid CEO on the list. His pay is significantly higher than that of his peers.
Total compensation: $33.4 million
Overpaid by: $24 million
This is the third year in a row that the founder of Salesforce.com has appeared on the list. Salesforce.com has had a low return on invested capital in three of the last five years, one measure that reflects a CEO’s ability to deliver value.
Total compensation: $56.7 million
Overpaid by: $44 million
Moonves has appeared on the overpaid CEO list for the past three years. He is paid more than his peers for a lower return on corporate capital.