Business · Fortune Technology
CEOs got an 11% pay raise in 2025
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CEO pay is on the rise in 2025, and the pace of growth is leaving the average worker far behind, according to a new report.
Key facts
- The report, which looked at 1,500 companies across 33 countries, found that the average CEO was paid about $8.4 million last year, up from an average of $5.5 million in 2019
- The record-breaking pay package was valued at $158 billion in 2025, the Wall Street Journal reported
- Global real wages for workers fell by 12% between 2019 and 2025
- Nearly 1,000 billionaires whose investment portfolios were identified earned $79 billion in dividends last year, according to the report
Summary
The leaders of some of the world’s biggest companies got an 11% pay bump last year, while the average worker globally got a measly 0.5% increase. The report, which looked at 1,500 companies across 33 countries, found that the average CEO was paid about $8.4 million last year, up from an average of $5.5 million in 2019. The poster child of high executive pay, though, may be Tesla CEO Elon Musk. Billionaires did incredibly well last year, thanks in part to solid stock market gains in 2025.