Technology is a booming industry that shows no sign of slowing down, and while there are thousands of companies, big and small, contributing to our technological advancement, that are a few huge companies leading the way that are led by some seriously-compensated leadership. Here’s a list of the 10 highest paid CEOs in tech.
The Top 10 Highest Paid CEOs In Tech
Mark Hurd – Oracle
Mark Hurd is both the co-CEO of Oracle as well as a member of the company’s board of directors. He has been with the company for quite a while having joined back in 2010, and made a total of $41.1 million in total compensation last year. Hurd has a significant history in the tech industry which led to his position atop the list of the 10 highest paid CEOs in tech, having previously served as HP’s board chairman, CEO, and president.
Safra Katz – Oracle
Serving alongside Mark Hurd is Safra Katz, and as the co-CEO of Oracle her compensation is quite similar at $40.9 million. The fact that two Oracle leaders are listed on this collection of the top 10 highest paid CEOs in tech is a testament to the staying power of the company, and Katz has been on board with the company since 1999. She has served in a variety of executive positions including executive vice president and chief financial officer.
Bobby Kotick – Activision Blizzard
Love them or hate them, there is a serious amount of money in the video game industry, and Activision Blizzard is at the forefront in terms of overall success. With massive intellectual properties like Call of Duty and World of Warcraft, there are millions upon millions of profit pouring in each month that have solidified Bobby Kotick as third on the list of the 10 highest paid CEOs in tech.
Kotick received $33.1 million in compensation last year.
Meg Whitman – Hewlett Packard
Meg Whitman is both the president and CEO of Hewlett Packard Enterprise – one of the biggest names in the industry. She has been a big name in the tech industry for over two decades, originally serving as the president and CEO of eBay from 1998 to 2008. Her compensation in 2017 of $32.9 million was a 93 percent increase when compared to 2015.
At $32.9 million, Whitman saw a 93 percent jump in total compensation compared to 2015.
Ginni Rometty – IBM
IBM is an intimidating presence in the computing industry and has been around for the majority of modern computing history. Ginni Rometty has held a number of leadership roles in the company since she first joined back in 1981, and became the company’s first female CEO in 2012.
In 2017, she received total compensation of $32.3 million, earning her the fifth spot on the list of the top 10 highest paid CEOs in tech.
Dion Weisler – HP
Dion Weisler heads HP, which was formerly a part of Hewlett Packard. Alongside Meg Whitman, Weisler navigated the complicated separation process of the two companies back in 2015 and was named CEO and president around the same time. He joined HP back in 2012 and rose to the top within three years with a compensation of $28.2 million.
James Peterson – Microsemi
Microsemi isn’t as much of a recognizable name as the companies discussed so far, but after the chip-maker saw a revenue bump of 33 percent in 2015, CEO James Peterson has been heavily compensated.
For leading the company that provides semiconductor and system solutions for a wide variety of markets, Peterson pulled in $28 million this past year.
Marissa Mayer – Yahoo
Yahoo has struggled to keep up with the times in recent years, but Marissa Mayer joined the company back in 2012 and has been compensated well for her efforts to bring the company forward into 2018.
Her total pay has decreased since 2015 at $27.4 million total last year, but with the upcoming sale of the company to Verizon she is said to be leaving the company with nearly $186 million in Yahoo stock, stock options, and restricted stock units – making her well deserving of a prominent spot on the list of 10 highest paid CEOs in tech.
Randall Stephenson – AT&T
Randall Stephenson has been a prominent name in the telecommunications industry since his start at Southwestern Bell Telephone back in 1982. He rose through the ranks of the company to become COO before leaving for AT&T in 2007, and has led the company to become the largest pay-TV provider in the United States.
Stephenson’s total compensation in 2017 was $25 million.
Hock Tan – Broadcom
Broadcom is a leading semiconductor company for the communications industry, and between 2015 and 2016 they saw a massive period of growth. This led to a massive 513 percent increase in CEO Hock Tan’s compensation up to $24.7 million.
Hock Tan started as the company’s CEO back in 2006, but has held executive positions at many major companies including PepsiCo, General Motors, and ICS.
