United States CEOs' median pay reached a record high of $16.8 million in 2024, a substantial 7.5 percent increase.
This significant rise is primarily attributed to substantial stock grants, far exceeding the average worker's compensation.
The timing of these pay decisions, made before recent market instability, explains the discrepancy with current performance.
Experts advise companies to carefully consider market uncertainty and possibly adopt alternative performance metrics for executive pay.
