Top 10 highest-paid CEOs in the US – Only one Indian-origin CEO makes the list

Indian-origin CEO Nikesh Arora Makes Top 10 List of Highest-Paid CEOs in the US

Leading one of the world’s top technology companies doesn’t always guarantee the highest compensation for a CEO. A recent report by C-Suite Comp has revealed the top 10 highest-paid CEOs in the US based on their Compensation Actually Paid (CAP), and surprisingly, only one Indian-origin CEO made the list.

Nikesh Arora, chairman and chief executive officer of Palo Alto Networks, emerged as the sole Silicon Valley executive of Indian descent on the list. While well-known names like Microsoft’s Satya Nadella and Google’s Sundar Pichai did not make the cut, Arora’s total compensation actually paid in 2023 was over $266.4 million, securing him the 10th spot in the ranking.

Arora, who had previously served as Google’s chief business officer and led SoftBank in Japan, took over as the head of Palo Alto Networks in 2018. His disclosed total compensation for the year was over $151.4 million, placing him among the highest-paid CEOs in the US.

The list was topped by Tesla’s Elon Musk, who earned a staggering $1.4 billion in 2023, followed by Alexander Karp of Palantir Technologies with over $1.1 billion. Arora’s achievement solidified the strong presence of Indian-descent executives among high earners, with 17 making it to the top 500.

Shantanu Narayen, CEO of Adobe and another Indian-origin executive, followed closely behind Arora at number 11 with $44.93 million in total compensation. Interestingly, both Musk and Pichai opted for non-traditional compensation structures in 2023, with Musk receiving no reported compensation and Pichai earning $8.80 million.

The report’s findings shed light on the diverse and dynamic landscape of high-level executive compensation in the tech industry, showcasing the impressive achievements of leaders like Nikesh Arora in the competitive world of Silicon Valley.