S&P 500 CEO pay hits record as mega compensation plans spread

NEW YORK CITY, New York: Average pay for S&P 500 chief executives climbed to a record in 2025 as more companies adopted mega compensation packages inspired by Elon Musk's extraordinary pay arrangements at Tesla, according to a new study. Excluding the Tesla and SpaceX CEO, average compensation for S&P 500 chief executives jumped 21% to $22.8 million last year, data released Thursday by the American Feder