• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Finance

Vote on the Most Overpaid CEOs in the U.S.

Lucinda Shen
By
Lucinda Shen
Lucinda Shen
Down Arrow Button Icon
May 4, 2016, 8:00 AM ET
sb10064290g-001
Photograph by Lauren Nicole — Getty Images

It’s that time of year again when we find out just how richly those at the top of the corporate American pyramid are getting rewarded.

On average, the CEOs of the U.S.’s largest companies are paid 300 times more than their average employee because of the top executives’ ability to lead their corporations to greatness.

In 2015, CEOs of roughly 400 of the U.S. largest companies earned a median compensation of $10.5 million, in a mix of base salary, stock options, bonuses, and other perks. That raises the question: Have these top executives actually earned their comp?

Some CEOs have steered their company into a golden era, others to bankruptcy. And sometimes you can’t tell the difference from looking at pay alone.

Previously, Fortune asked who the world’s most disappointing leaders were. Now, we want to know which CEO you think is least deserving of their, in most cases enormous, pay checks.

Perhaps Macy’s CEO Terry Lundgren, who tried to navigate his department store chain through a retail drought, but failed to bring sales back up, or the man who’s been called the best paid CEO of 2015, Patrick Soon-Shiong, whose pay was a fifth of his company, NantKWest’s market cap. Or Google’s CEO, who is getting paid $100 million for a job he’s had less than a year. Or somebody else. Here’s your chance to rate the worst of the best paid CEOs, and see how others did as well. (Note: The executive compensation noted below is calculated using the rules set out by the Securities and Exchange Commission, and may differ from how the individual companies calculate their executives’ pay.)

Click on the arrows below to bring your choice for the most overpaid CEO to the top.

[playbuzz-item url=”//www.playbuzz.com/fortune/vote-on-the-countrys-most-overpaid-ceo”]

Pay data collected from regulatory filings.

 

About the Author
Lucinda Shen
By Lucinda Shen
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Finance

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.


Latest in Finance

Future of WorkColleges and Universities
The new American Dream has parents easing up on college expectations for their kids—1 in 3 are now open to trade school instead
By Sydney LakeDecember 19, 2025
57 minutes ago
Personal FinanceCertificates of Deposit (CDs)
This CD still yields 4.18%—here are today’s best CD rates on Dec. 19, 2025
By Glen Luke FlanaganDecember 19, 2025
3 hours ago
Personal FinanceSavings accounts
Today’s best high-yield savings account rates on Dec. 19, 2025: Earn up to 5.00% APY
By Glen Luke FlanaganDecember 19, 2025
3 hours ago
Personal FinanceReal Estate
Current ARM mortgage rates report for Dec. 19, 2025
By Glen Luke FlanaganDecember 19, 2025
3 hours ago
Personal FinanceReal Estate
Current refi mortgage rates report for Dec. 19, 2025
By Glen Luke FlanaganDecember 19, 2025
3 hours ago
Personal Financemortgages
Current mortgage rates report for Dec. 19, 2025: Rates show little movement
By Glen Luke FlanaganDecember 19, 2025
3 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Economy
The $38 trillion national debt is to blame for over $1 trillion in annual interest payments from here on out, CRFB says
By Nick LichtenbergDecember 17, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
C-Suite
Red Lobster CEO Damola Adamolekun says the key to being a better leader is being a better person: ‘Leadership is self-improvement’
By Sydney LakeDecember 17, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
As millions of Gen Zers face unemployment, McDonald's CEO dishes out some tough love career advice for navigating the market: ‘You've got to make things happen for yourself’
By Preston ForeDecember 16, 2025
3 days ago
placeholder alt text
AI
'Robots are going to be amongst us': Qualcomm exec says buckle up for the next 5 years. Your car is going to be the first shoe to drop
By Nino PaoliDecember 17, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Future of Work
LinkedIn CEO says it's 'outdated' to have a five-year career plan: It's a 'little bit foolish' considering the pace AI is changing the workplace
By Sydney LakeDecember 18, 2025
20 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
‘This is a wacky number’: economists cry foul as new government data assumes zero housing inflation in surprising November drop
By Eva RoytburgDecember 18, 2025
15 hours ago