Highest Paid CEO in the World (2026): Updated Global List, India Rankings

1. George Kurtz, CrowdStrike

FY2026 total compensation: $247.58 million

George Kurtz is the co-founder, president and CEO of CrowdStrike, the cybersecurity company known for its cloud-native security platform.

CrowdStrike's fiscal year ended on January 31, 2026. Its 2026 proxy statement reported $247,579,143 in total compensation for Kurtz.

His base salary is only $1.1 million. The majority of his reported compensation comes from stock awards worth approximately $242.12 million. His non-equity incentive compensation is about $1.61 million, while other compensation was approximately $2.74 million.

So, calling $247.58 million his "salary" would be inaccurate. It represents the value of his overall reported compensation package, with equity doing most of the heavy lifting.

Kurtz's package shows why equity matters when determining who is the highest paid CEO in the world. A CEO can have a relatively ordinary cash salary while receiving a very large stock award designed to align executive rewards with long-term company performance.

George Kurtz at a glance

• Company: CrowdStrike
• Role: President, CEO and Director
• Industry: Cybersecurity
• FY2026 compensation: $247.58 million
• Base salary: $1.10 million
• Stock awards: $242.12 million
• Approx. INR value: ₹2,361.91 crore

Must Read: CEOs with MBA - How much more do MBA grads earn? | upGrad blog

2. Rene Haas, Arm Holdings

FY2026 total compensation: $60.63 million

Rene Haas is the CEO of Arm Holdings, the semiconductor and CPU architecture company whose technology is used across smartphones, cloud infrastructure, automotive systems and an expanding range of AI-enabled devices.

Arm's fiscal year ended March 31, 2026. Its annual report disclosed total remuneration of $60.633 million for Haas.

His compensation was heavily weighted toward equity. Arm reported:

• Salary: $1.35 million
• Taxable benefits: $1.07 million
• Pension: $14,000
• Annual bonus: $2.64 million
• Equity plans: $55.56 million
• Total remuneration: $60.63 million

The equity component accounted for more than 90% of his reported package.

Rene Haas at a glance

• Company: Arm Holdings
• Role: CEO
• Industry: Semiconductors
• FY2026 compensation: $60.63 million
• Salary: $1.35 million
• Equity plans: $55.56 million
• Approx. INR value: ₹578.44 crore

Must read: 7 Steps of Strategic Management Process With Examples

3. Marc Benioff, Salesforce

FY2026 total compensation: $49.38 million

Marc Benioff, Salesforce co-founder, chairman and CEO, ranks third in this FY2026 comparison.

Salesforce's fiscal year ended January 31, 2026. Its 2026 proxy statement reported $49,379,252 in total compensation for Benioff.

His package included:

• Salary: $1.55 million
• Bonus: $833
• Stock awards: $27.27 million
• Option awards: $10.74 million
• Non-equity incentive compensation: $3.60 million
• Other compensation: $6.22 million

Benioff's compensation is particularly relevant to the changing technology landscape because Salesforce has been reshaping its product strategy around artificial intelligence, Agentorce and Data 360.

Marc Benioff at a glance

• Company: Salesforce
• Role: Co-founder, Chairman and CEO
• Industry: Enterprise Software
• FY2026 compensation: $49.38 million
• Base salary: $1.55 million
• Stock and option awards: About $38.01 million combined
• Approx. INR value: ₹471.08 crore

Also read: MBA Salary in India: A Guide for Professionals in 2026

4. Raul J. Fernandez, DXC Technology

FY2026 total compensation: $47.79 million

Raul J. Fernandez, president and CEO of DXC Technology, ranks fourth.

DXC's fiscal 2026 compensation disclosure reported total compensation of $47,790,716 for Fernandez.

His fiscal 2026 annual cash incentive payout was $2.89 million, based on a 77% funding level against a $3.75 million target.

Raul J. Fernandez at a glance

• Company: DXC Technology
• Role: President and CEO
• Industry: IT Services and Technology
• FY2026 compensation: $47.79 million
• Annual cash incentive: $2.89 million
• Major driver: Three-year front-loaded equity award
• Approx. INR value: ₹455.92 crore

Do read: Highest Paying Easy Jobs in India That Pay Well in 2026

5. Sandeep Kalra, Persistent Systems

FY2026 total compensation: ₹388.58 crore

Sandeep Kalra is the highest paid Indian CEO in this 2026 global comparison and the highest-paid executive identified in India's FY2026 data.

Kalra serves as Executive Director and CEO of Persistent Systems. His FY2026 remuneration reached ₹388.58 crore, according to reporting based on the Capitaline database and company annual reports.

His compensation increased by approximately 162% year over year, making him India's standout executive-pay story for FY2026.

Kalra's package includes salary, performance-linked remuneration, incentives and other compensation components. The large increase reflects the growing role of long-term and performance-linked rewards in executive compensation.

Kalra has more than three decades of technology-industry experience. Under his leadership, Persistent expanded its presence across digital engineering, cloud, cybersecurity, data and analytics, and enterprise AI. The company crossed $1.6 billion in annual revenue during his tenure.

At the August 14, 2026 exchange rate of approximately ₹95.40 per US dollar, ₹388.58 crore is roughly $40.73 million.

That puts Kalra ahead of several highly paid U.S. technology executives in this FY2026 comparison.

Sandeep Kalra at a glance

• Company: Persistent Systems
• Role: Executive Director and CEO
• Country: India
• Industry: IT Services
• FY2026 compensation: ₹388.58 crore
• Approx. USD value: $40.73 million

Must read: AI Proof Jobs in 2026: Careers Safe from Automation

6. Andrew Wilson, Electronic Arts

FY2026 total compensation: $38.65 million

Andrew Wilson is the CEO of Electronic Arts, one of the world's largest video-game publishers.

EA reported $38,649,984 in total compensation for Wilson for fiscal 2026.

His base salary remained at $1.3 million, meaning the majority of his compensation came from other components, particularly stock awards and performance-linked compensation.

Andrew Wilson at a glance

• Company: Electronic Arts
• Role: CEO
• Industry: Gaming and Interactive Entertainment
• FY2026 compensation: $38.65 million
• Base salary: $1.30 million
• Approx. INR value: ₹368.72 crore

Do read: Career Opportunities in Education: Jobs & Scope

7. Jensen Huang, NVIDIA

FY2026 total compensation: $36.34 million

Jensen Huang, founder, president and CEO of NVIDIA, ranks seventh.

NVIDIA's fiscal 2026 ended January 25, 2026. Its proxy statement reported total compensation of $36,343,830.

His package consisted of:

• Salary: $1.50 million
• Stock awards: $24.80 million
• Non-equity incentive compensation: $6 million
• Other compensation: $4.05 millio

Jensen Huang at a glance

• Company: NVIDIA
• Role: Founder, President and CEO
• Industry: Semiconductors and AI
• FY2026 compensation: $36.34 million
• Salary: $1.50 million
• Stock awards: $24.80 million
• Performance incentive: $6 million
• Approx. INR value: ₹346.72 crore

Also read: Best Career Options in India 2026: Salary & Future Scope

8. Lawson E. Whiting, Brown-Forman

FY2026 total compensation: $25.30 million

Lawson E. Whiting, president and CEO of Brown-Forman, ranks eighth.

Brown-Forman reported $25,304,882 in total compensation for Whiting for fiscal 2026.

Lawson E. Whiting at a glance

• Company: Brown-Forman
• Role: President and CEO
• Industry: Beverages
• FY2026 compensation: $25.30 million
• Approx. INR value: ₹241.41 crore

9. Jeff Tangney, Doximity

FY2026 total compensation: $19.59 million

Jeff Tangney, co-founder and CEO of Doximity, ranks ninth.

Doximity is a digital health platform serving medical professionals in the United States. Its FY2026 proxy statement reported $19,586,169 in total compensation for Tangney.

Jeff Tangney at a glance

• Company: Doximity
• Role: Co-founder and CEO
• Industry: Health Technology
• FY2026 compensation: $19.59 million
• Approx. INR value: ₹186.85 crore

10. C. Vijayakumar, HCLTech

FY2026 total compensation: ₹176.47 crore

C. Vijayakumar, CEO and Managing Director of HCLTech, rounds out the top 10 in this FY2026 comparison.

HCLTech's annual report shows that Vijayakumar received approximately ₹176.47 crore in FY2026 remuneration, equivalent to roughly $18.5 million using the August 14, 2026 USD/INR rate.

His package included:

• Base salary: approximately $2.48 million
• Performance-linked bonus: approximately $2 million
• Benefits and perquisites: approximately $0.31 million
• Long-term incentive cash: approximately $3.94 million
• Value of exercised RSUs: approximately $9.40 million

Vijayakumar has been with HCL since the 1990s and became CEO in 2016. He later took on the Managing Director role in 2021.

His FY2026 remuneration makes him India's second-highest-paid executive in the global comparison after Persistent Systems' Sandeep Kalra.

C. Vijayakumar at a glance

• Company: HCLTech
• Role: CEO and Managing Director
• Country: India
• Industry: IT Services
• FY2026 compensation: ₹176.47 crore
• Approx. USD value: $18.50 million
• Base salary: About $2.48 million
• Performance-linked bonus: About $2 million

Do read: Best Careers for Women in India: Top High Paying Options

Highest Paid Indian CEOs in 2026

India's executive compensation landscape changed significantly in FY2026, with technology, automotive, pharmaceuticals, infrastructure and financial services leaders featuring prominently among the country's highest-paid executives. The figures below represent total remuneration, which can include salary, bonuses, commissions, perquisites and stock-based benefits.

Rank	CEO/Executive	Company	FY2026 Compensation
1	Sandeep Kalra	Persistent Systems	₹388.58 crore
2	C. Vijayakumar	HCLTech	₹171.93 crore
3	Pawan Munjal	Hero MotoCorp	₹122.31 crore
4	S. N. Subrahmanyan	Larsen & Toubro	₹120.84 crore
5	Murali K. Divi	Divi's Laboratories	₹100.26 crore
6	Salil Parekh	Infosys	₹82.60 crore
7	Neeraj Kanwar	Apollo Tyres	₹78.41 crore
8	H. M. Bangur	Shree Cement	₹68.59 crore
9	Ambarish Kenghe	Angel One	₹68.23 crore
10	Mohit Joshi	Tech Mahindra	₹67.58 crore

**Financial Express compiled the ranking using the Capitaline database and company annual reports. It also notes that executives from PB Fintech, Sun TV and Swiggy were excluded because their FY26 annual reports had not yet been released when the ranking was compiled.

A notable trend is the strong presence of technology and automotive leaders. Sandeep Kalra's ₹388.58 crore remuneration was up 162% year over year, while C. Vijayakumar's rose 85%. Ambarish Kenghe's compensation was particularly unusual because ₹55.53 crore came from ESOPs, contributing to a sharp increase in his reported remuneration.

Must read: Data Scientist Salary in India 2026: Shocking Facts

What Is the Difference Between CEO Salary vs Total Compensation?

The term "CEO salary" is often used loosely, but it can mean something very different from total compensation.

A CEO's base salary is the fixed amount paid for performing the role. Total compensation can be much larger.

Compensation Component	Meaning
Base Salary	The fixed amount a CEO receives for performing their role, usually paid monthly or annually.
Annual Cash Bonus	A short-term cash payment awarded based on annual company or individual performance.
Performance Incentives	Additional rewards linked to specific business, financial, or individual performance targets.
Stock Awards	Company shares granted to a CEO as part of their compensation, often subject to vesting conditions.
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs)	Promises to provide company shares after the CEO meets specified vesting requirements, such as staying with the company for a set period.
Performance Stock Units (PSUs)	Stock-based awards that vest when predefined company or shareholder performance targets are achieved.
Stock Options	The right to buy company shares at a predetermined price, usually after meeting certain vesting conditions.
Long-Term Incentive Plans	Compensation designed to reward performance over several years, often through cash or equity tied to long-term targets.
Retirement Benefits	Contributions or benefits provided through pension, retirement or deferred-compensation arrangements.
Personal Security	Company-paid security services or related expenses provided for the CEO's protection.
Other Reported Benefits	Additional compensation or benefits such as allowances, insurance, travel, tax-related payments or other executive perks.

Consider George Kurtz. His FY2026 base salary was $1.1 million, while his total reported compensation was $247.58 million. The difference came overwhelmingly from equity awards.

So, if you're comparing the highest paid CEO in the world, total compensation is generally a more useful measure than base salary.

How Is CEO Compensation Calculated?

There isn't one universal formula for calculating CEO compensation.

Public companies generally disclose executive remuneration through annual reports, proxy statements or equivalent remuneration reports. In the United States, SEC rules require detailed reporting for named executive officers.

A simplified CEO compensation calculation can be represented as:

Total Compensation = Salary + Bonus + Equity Awards + Incentives + Other Compensation

However, the valuation of equity can make the calculation more complicated.

Stock awards are generally reported using a specified valuation methodology, such as grant-date fair value under accounting rules. The resulting figure isn't necessarily the amount of cash the CEO received during that year.

That's why a $100 million compensation figure doesn't automatically mean the CEO received $100 million in cash.

How Do CEO Bonuses and Stock Awards Work?

CEO bonuses generally reward annual performance, while equity awards are often designed to encourage longer-term performance.

Annual bonuses

Performance Metric	Meaning
Revenue	Measures the company's total income from its business operations during a specific period.
Profit	Shows how much money the company earns after deducting its expenses and costs.
Operating Income	Measures profit generated from the company's core operations before interest and taxes.
Cash Flow	Tracks the cash generated and used by the business, indicating its ability to fund operations and investments.
Strategic Milestones	Measures progress toward specific business goals, such as product launches, acquisitions, expansion, or digital transformation.
Shareholder Returns	Measures the value delivered to shareholders through factors such as share-price appreciation and dividends.

Stock awards

Companies may provide:

Equity Component	Meaning
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs)	A promise to give the CEO company shares after specific vesting conditions are met, such as completing a certain period of service.
Performance Stock Units (PSUs)	Stock-based awards that become vested when the company or CEO achieves predefined performance targets.
Stock Options	The right to purchase company shares at a predetermined price, usually after a specified vesting period.
Long-Term Incentive Shares	Shares awarded to encourage CEOs to achieve long-term business or shareholder-performance goals, often with multi-year vesting conditions.

For example, NVIDIA's FY2026 compensation structure included performance stock units tied to operating income and multi-year total shareholder return. Some awards won't become fully determined until future performance periods end.

Why Are Some CEOs Paid Mostly in Stock?

Stock allows companies to link executive rewards with long-term business outcomes. It can also reduce the amount of fixed cash compensation a company needs to provide.

For example, Rene Haas received $60.63 million in FY2026 total remuneration, but only $1.35 million came from salary. More than $55 million came through equity plans.

The same pattern appears in the compensation packages of George Kurtz, Marc Benioff and Jensen Huang.

This is why a ranking based only on base salary would miss the main reason some CEOs appear at the top of global compensation tables.

Do read: Top-Paying MBA Specializations & Salary Trends 2025

What Factors that Determine CEO Compensation?

CEO compensation can be influenced by several factors.

Factor	How It Can Affect CEO Pay
Company size	Larger businesses may offer larger executive packages
Revenue	Can influence peer benchmarking and incentive targets
Profitability	Often linked to annual performance bonuses
Shareholder returns	May determine long-term equity payouts
Market capitalisation	Can influence equity-based incentives
Industry	Compensation differs across sectors
Executive experience	Experienced leaders may command higher packages
Strategic responsibility	Major transformations can influence pay
Retention requirements	Special awards can be used to retain executives
Long-term performance	Often linked to stock and performance awards

Must read: Top 15 Highest Paying Data Science Jobs India 2026

How Does CEO Compensation Vary by Country?

International comparisons need extra care.

A U.S. company may disclose compensation under SEC rules, while an Indian company reports remuneration under Indian corporate and securities requirements. UK and Australian companies follow their own remuneration-reporting frameworks.

Fiscal years can also differ.

For example, CrowdStrike's FY2026 ended January 31, 2026, while Arm's ended March 31, 2026. Indian companies generally report financial years ending March 31.

That means a global ranking should identify the financial year covered by each figure, rather than assuming that every "2026 salary" refers to the same 12-month period.

Conclusion

The highest paid CEO in the world in 2026 highlights how executive compensation has evolved beyond traditional salaries. George Kurtz leads the latest FY2026 comparison, with a substantial share of his reported compensation coming from stock awards and performance-linked incentives.

The rankings also show that CEO pay can vary significantly across companies, industries, and countries. When comparing compensation, it's important to look beyond base salary and consider bonuses, equity awards, long-term incentives, and other reported benefits. For an accurate comparison, always check the financial year, compensation methodology, and source of the data.

For accurate comparisons, consider the financial year, compensation methodology, equity valuation and currency conversion.

Ready to start your journey? Book a free consultation with upGrad today to find the best path for your career.