Despite the fact that it turned out that Apple CEO Tim Cook doesn’t earn $1 million a day, as claimed by the New York Times back in April, the claim that he is the highest paid CEO of a publicly traded company has reared up again today.
The San Jose Mercury News has surveyed the pay of CEOs and found that Cook’s compensation in 2011 was $378 million. The paper does note that almost all of that is tied up in shares that he can't sell for years - stock that his board hopes is motivation to stick around.
The survey shows that Cook’s salary is $900,071. The report notes: Cook's actual take-home was $1.8 million in pay and a bonus. The rest - 1 million shares of Apple - vests over 10 years. The value was calculated at Apple's share price at the time the award was granted, but as of July 11, with Apple closing at about $598 a share, the value of Cook's restricted stock has grown to almost $600 million.
Oracle’s Larry Ellison, on-the-other-hand, earned a measly $77.6 million including $62.6 million in option awards. His salary is $1 (much like late Apple CEO Steve Jobs).
HP’s Meg Whitman also took a $1 annual salary but made $16.5 million in 2011.
Other CEO salaries in the top 25, range form from $375,000 for John Chambers of Cisco to $2,800,000 for John Stumpf at Wells Fargo.
CEO Steve Jobs took a customary $1 salary. During the fiscal year 2010, Jobs received no new stock or option awards. He held about 5.5 million shares of Apple's stock and never sold a share since rejoining Apple in 1997. “The Company believes Mr. Jobs’s level of stock ownership significantly aligns his interests with shareholders’ interests; his total compensation consists of a salary of $1 per year,” Apple said in a proxy statement.
Related:
Apple CEO Tim Cook doesn't earn $1m a day
Tim Cook 'settled Apple's $60m trademark payoff from his own pocket'
Tim Cook declines $75 million in Apple staff dividend payout
Apple CEO Cook receives $376 million stock award
Apples Steve Jobs sticks to $1 salary
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