World highest paid CEO, The heads of America's 500 biggest companies received an aggregate 54% pay raise last year. As a group, their total compensation amounted to $5.1 billion, versus $3.3 billion in fiscal 2003.

We define total compensation as salary and bonus plus "other" compensation, which includes vested restricted stock grants and "stock gains," the value realized from exercising stock options during the just-concluded fiscal year.

For those companies in which the chief executive has been in office six years or longer, we looked at average six-year total compensation and compared this to long-term stock performance of industry peers as well as the overall stock market. We ranked 189 chief executives in our performance versus pay scorecard.


The Best and Worst Bosses

Some chief executives really earn their pay. Some don't. Some are so bad they should be paying their shareholders.

Paychecks on Steroids
By Michael K. Ozanian and Elizabeth MacDonald
Basing the boss' compensation on results delivered is a noble concept. But it has a dark side.

It Paid to Cheat
By Maya Roney
Some companies that used heavy doses of performance-based pay to compensate their chief executives have also been involved in accounting scandals. Here are three egregious examples.

Permanent Help
By Peter Kafka
Jeff Joerres retooled staffing giant Manpower - and didn't ask for a fat pay package.

Crying All the Way to the Bank
By Michael Maiello
Mediocre results and gilt-edged paychecks land the Bank of New York's Thomas Renyi near the bottom of our rankings.
See Also

Turnaround CEOs
By Lisa DiCarlo
What does it take to successfully turn around a troubled company?

The 400 Best Big Companies
Edited by Scott DeCarlo
The crème de la crème of corporate America.

America's Most Overworked CEO Directors
By Virginia Citrano
These five chief executives have significant boardroom commitments outside of their day jobs.

The CEO Network
Forbes.com staff
Our exclusive members-only area for the world's business leaders.


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