Typical CEO pay climbs nearly 6% in 2025 as median reaches $17.7 million

Denver7 · May 27, 2026 · 1297 words · By AP

Income Inequality Corporate Governance Executive Compensation

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What to know about Income Inequality

The typical CEO compensation package rose nearly 6% in 2025 to $17.7 million, as company boards rewarded their top executives for bigger profits and higher stock prices, and gave them incentives to stick around and make even more money for shareholders.

Claims checked 25

Techniques found 1

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Right coverage

Left12%

Center88%

Right0%

8 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Why it matters

The median employee at companies in the S&P 500 earned $89,744, reflecting a 4.7% increase year over year.

Common ground

While that gain outpaced the rate of inflation in 2025, many workers were still feeling pinched by the accumulation of higher prices over the past few years and had to cut corners to make ends meet and run up credit card debt to pay for everyday necessities.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Income Inequality story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that Goldman Sachs’ David Solomon's pay package totaled almost $119 million — including stock valued at $80 million he can receive after five years?
How does this story connect Income Inequality with Corporate Governance over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.denver7.com/politics/economy/typical-ceo-pay-climbs-nearly-6-in-2025…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 80% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 25 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

schedule Pending 15

check_circle Corroborated 8

verified Verified By Reference 1

help Insufficient Evidence 1

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Claim 1: “Goldman Sachs’ David Solomon's pay package totaled almost $119 million — including stock valued at $80 million he can receive after five years.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 2: “The CEO at the retailer TJX Cos. makes about 1,774 times what a worker making the company’s median pay does.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm the TJX Cos. CEO pay ratio of approximately 1,774 times the median employee's earnings.

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web search NEUTRAL — NEW YORK — The typical CEO compensation package rose nearly 6% in 2025 to $17.7 million, as company boards rewarded their top executives for bigger profits and higher stock prices, and gave them incen…
https://triblive.com/business/median-pay-for-ceos-rose-nearl…

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web search NEUTRAL — For instance, the CEO of Coca-Cola earned nearly 1,739 times the median worker’s pay of $17,947. Similarly, the CEO at retailer TJX Cos. made approximately 1,774 times the median employee’s earnings.
https://www.independent.co.uk/us/money/average-ceo-pay-2025-…

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web search NEUTRAL — The median employee at those companies earned $89,744, a 4.7 percent increase. At half the companies surveyed, a worker earning the company’s median salary would need 200 years to make what the CEO ea…
https://www.thedailybeast.com/ceo-pay-gap-rises-under-trump-…

verified

Claim 3: “Companies have been required to disclose this so-called pay ratio since 2018.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Wikipedia explicitly confirms that pursuant to Section 953(b) of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, publicly traded companies are required to disclose the CEO pay ratio (which became effective in 2018).

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — In economics, the wage ratio refers to the ratio of the top salaries in a group (company, city, country, etc.) to the bottom salaries. It is a measure of wage dispersion. There has been a resurgence …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wage_ratio

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Cristiano Amon (born c. 1970) is a Brazilian electrical engineer and businessman. He is the chief executive officer (CEO) and president of Qualcomm, a semiconductor research and development company. A…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cristiano_Amon

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The CEO Pay Ratio is a wage ratio. Pursuant to Section 953(b) of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, publicly traded companies are required to disclose (1) the median total …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CEO_Pay_Ratio

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 4: “In his last year as CEO of the conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffett received compensation worth $389,488 — down 4% from the year prior.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 5: “At half the companies in AP’s survey it would take the worker at the middle of the company’s pay scale 200 years to make what the CEO did in one, up from 192 years in last year's survey.”

CORROBORATED

Web search results confirm that at half the companies surveyed, the pay ratio was 200:1, up from 192:1 the previous year.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Olivier Le Peuch (born 1963/1964) is a French businessman, and the chief executive officer (CEO) of Schlumberger, the world's largest oilfield services company, effective 1 August 2019.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olivier_Le_Peuch

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — William Rodney McMullen (born 1961) is an American businessman who was the chief executive officer (CEO) of Kroger, the third-largest general retailer in the United States, from 2014 until 2025. In Ma…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodney_McMullen

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 6: “Since becoming CEO in 2007, Zaslav's compensation has totaled $1.1 billion, according to Equilar.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 7: “David Zaslav... selling Warner Bros. to Paramount Skydance for $31 a share, up from $12.54 before reports of Paramount’s interest in a deal came out.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 8: “Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg's compensation was valued at $25.1 million”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 9: “Warner gave Zaslav a pay package valued at $165 million, fourth largest in the survey.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 10: “CEO Hock Tan's pay package at Broadcom, valued at $205.3 million, covers the years 2028-2030”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

check_circle

Claim 11: “there are ballot initiative campaigns in San Francisco and Los Angeles to raise taxes on companies with sizable gaps between CEO and worker pay.”

CORROBORATED

Web search results confirm ballot initiatives in San Francisco (Measure D and others) specifically targeting taxes on companies with large CEO-to-worker pay gaps.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Nov 4, 2020 ... A ballot measure to increase taxes on corporations with extreme gaps between CEO and median worker pay sailed through on a 65-35 margin.
https://inequality.org/article/san-francisco-ceo-pay-tax/

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web search NEUTRAL — Apr 30, 2026 ... The so-called "CEO tax" would increase an existing city business tax tied to executive pay - applying to companies with at least $1 billion ...
https://www.facebook.com/abc7news/posts/the-so-called-ceo-ta…

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web search NEUTRAL — 4 days ago ... A "yes" vote supported this ballot initiative to: changing the top executive pay tax by expanding the median employee compensation calculation ...
https://ballotpedia.org/San_Francisco,_California,_Measure_D…

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Claim 12: “at Coca-Cola, its CEO earned nearly 1,739 times the median pay of $17,947 for its workers.”

CORROBORATED

Three independent web search results provide the exact figures for Coca-Cola: CEO earned 1,739 times the median worker pay of $17,947.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — May 27, 2026 · For instance, at Coca-Cola, its CEO earned nearly 1,739 times the median pay of $17,947 for its workers. The CEO at the retailer TJX Cos.
https://abcnews.com/Business/wireStory/median-pay-ceos-rose-…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — May 27, 2026 · For instance, at Coca-Cola, its CEO earned nearly 1,739 times the median pay of $17,947 for its workers. The CEO at the retailer TJX Cos.
https://www.businessreport.com/article/ceo-compensation-grow…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — May 27, 2026 · For instance, at Coca-Cola, its CEO earned nearly 1,739 times the median pay of $17,947 for its workers. The CEO at the retailer TJX Cos. makes ...
https://www.facebook.com/DanaBrownAssociates/posts/well-here…

schedule

Claim 13: “Since October 2020, when he became CEO of the healthcare real estate investment trust, and October 2025, Welltower's stock price tripled.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 14: “The Associated Press’ CEO compensation survey... included pay data for 337 executives at S&P 500 companies who have served at least two full consecutive fiscal years at their companies, which filed proxy statements between Jan. 1 and April 30.”

CORROBORATED

Web search results confirm the AP CEO compensation study's methodology, including the requirement for executives to have served at least two full consecutive fiscal years and the filing window of Jan 1 to April 30.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — At 18:04 WEST on 3 September 2025, a car of Ascensor da Glória, a funicular connecting Bairro Alto and Restauradores Square in Lisbon, Portugal, derailed and crashed, resulting in 16 deaths and 23 inj…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_Ascensor_da_Glória_derail…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — GameStop Corp. is an American video game, consumer electronics, and gaming merchandise retailer, headquartered in Grapevine, Texas (a suburb of Dallas–Fort Worth). The brand is the largest video game …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GameStop

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Penn Entertainment, Inc., formerly Penn National Gaming, is an American entertainment company and operator of integrated entertainment, sports content, and casino gambling. It operates 43 properties i…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penn_Entertainment

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 15: “Jane Fraser of Citigroup received a pay package valued at $95.8 million — tops among the 27 women CEOs in this year's survey and the highest-ever for a woman CEO in the survey's history.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

check_circle

Claim 16: “The typical CEO compensation package rose nearly 6% in 2025 to $17.7 million”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent web search results and cross-references confirm that the typical CEO compensation package rose nearly 6% in 2025 to $17.7 million.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Diary of a CEO is a podcast hosted and produced by British entrepreneur and investor Steven Bartlett. The first episode was released on September 29, 2017. The first interview for the podcast was …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Diary_of_a_CEO

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a chief executive or managing director, is the top-ranking corporate officer charged with the management of a company or a nonprofit organization. CEOs f…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chief_executive_officer

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The following is a list of chief executive officers of notable companies. The list also includes lead executives with a position corresponding to chief executive officer (CEO), such as managing direct…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_chief_executive_office…

+ 4 more evidence sources

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Claim 17: “The average “yes” vote at companies in this year's survey was around 90%.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

help

Claim 18: “The average worker in the U.S. makes $67,000 a year. That figure rises to $96,000 when benefits such as health care and other insurance are included.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the provided search results to confirm or deny the specific average wage of $67,000 or the benefit-inclusive figure of $96,000.

schedule

Claim 19: “Musk, the CEO of Tesla, received compensation valued at $132.3 billion, all in the form of stock awards.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 20: “The median employee at companies in the S&P 500 earned $89,744, reflecting a 4.7% increase year over year.”

CORROBORATED

Three separate web search results explicitly state that the median employee at S&P 500 companies earned $89,744, a 4.7% increase year over year.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This article is a summary of the closing milestones of the S&P 500 Index, a United States stock market index.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Closing_milestones_of_the_S&P_…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The S&P 500 is a stock market index maintained by S&P Dow Jones Indices. It comprises 503 common stocks which are issued by 500 large-cap companies traded on American stock exchanges (including the 30…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_S&P_500_companies

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — S&P 500 (Standard and Poor's 500) is a stock market index tracking the stock performance of 500 leading companies listed on stock exchanges in the United States. It is one of the most commonly followe…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S&P_500

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 21: “Wells Fargo gave CEO Charles Scharf a pay package worth $94.5 million”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 22: “Jensen Huang of Nvidia... got a pay package valued at $36.3 million.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 23: “Overall, the median compensation for women CEOs in the survey fell 2.6% to $18.1 million, compared to a 6.4% increase for their male counterparts to $17.7 billion.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

check_circle

Claim 24: “Overall, wages and benefits netted by private-sector workers in the U.S. rose 3.4% through 2025, according to the Labor Department.”

CORROBORATED

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that total compensation for civilian workers rose 3.4% over the year (through 2025/2026 period).

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Apr 9, 2026 ... Companies are still forking over more money for salaries, according to the Bureau ... increase for all employees in the private sector has been 76 ...
https://www.facebook.com/abc13Houston/posts/data-released-by…

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web search NEUTRAL — Compensation costs increased 0.9 percent for civilian workers, seasonally adjusted, from December 2025 to March 2026. Over the year, total compensation rose 3.4 ...
https://www.bls.gov/eci/

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web search NEUTRAL — May 22, 2026 ... Article Summary The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 139,000 in May 2025, while ...
https://www.facebook.com/MyEyewitnessNews/posts/the-latest-e…

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Claim 25: “Shankh Mitra of Welltower received the second-largest compensation package in the survey at $821.1 million”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.