Here are 2021’s most overpaid CEOs

As You Sow’s latest survey of America’s most overpaid CEOs is out, with Paycom Software’s Chad Richison leading the list. But the number of shareholders voting against high compensation packages is on the rise. Last year, a record 16 companies in the S&P 500 had CEO pay packages rejected by shareholders, a 60% increase over 2020—and twice as many as in 2019.

Richison earned the dubious honor by taking in over $211 million last year. That compares to the average worker at his company taking home $71,259. That’s a ratio of 2,963 to 1. He’s a newcomer to the list and didn’t even make the top 10 last year.

In fact, only two CEOs from last year’s list made it back onto the top 10: Discovery’s David Zaslav and John C. Plant of Howmet Aerospace. (Zaslav was also on the lists from 2019 and 2020.)

“Because frontline worker pay remained essentially flat for many years, the ratio between employee and CEO pay grew particularly stark,” the report read.

Here’s a look at the list’s ranking of the 10 most overpaid CEOs in America.

1) Chad Richison, Paycom Software

Salary: $211,131,206

Median employee pay: $71,259

Ratio: 2,963:1

2) Frank Del Rio, Norwegian Cruise Line

Salary:  $36,381,255

Median employee pay: $30,635

Ratio: 1,188:1

3) Lawrence Culp Jr., General Electric 

Salary:  $73,192,032

Median employee pay: $53,928

Ratio: 1,357:1

4) Mike Sievert, T-Mobile

Salary:  $54,914,015

Median employee pay: $63,949

Ratio: 859:1

5) John Donahoe, Nike

Salary:  $53,499,980

Median employee pay: $28,142

Ratio: 1,935:1

6) Chris Nassetta, Hilton

Salary:  $55,870,639

Median employee pay: $28,608

Ratio: 1,943:1

7) John Plant, Howmet Aerospace

Salary:  $39,091,008

Median employee pay: $58,020

Ratio: 761:1

8) David Zaslav, Discovery

Salary:  $37,710,462

Median employee pay: $66,689

Ratio: 565:1

9) Brian Niccol, Chipotle Mexican Grill

Salary:  $38,035,868

Median employee pay: $13,127

Ratio: 2,898:1

10) Leonard Schleifer, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals

Salary:  $135,350,121

Median employee pay: $145,019

Ratio: 933:1