Wall Street\u2019s big bet on AI is beefing up the pockets of some of the most prominent leaders in the tech space.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A new proxy filing<\/a> revealed that Microsoft<\/a> CEO Satya Nadella\u2019s pay package jumped to $96.5 million in fiscal 2025\u2014the highest amount paid since he became CEO more than a decade ago. His earnings include more than $84 million in stock awards, over $9.5 million in cash incentives, and $196,294 in all other compensation.\u00a0<\/p>\n Nadella\u2019s sweeping take-home pay was thanks in part to the tech giants\u2019 share performance, which has seen generous gains amid the enthusiasm towards AI investments.\u00a0<\/p>\n In 2025 alone, Microsoft\u2019s stock price has risen by 23%, with shares having more than doubled in value over the past three years. Today, Microsoft\u2019s market cap is almost at $4 trillion.\u00a0<\/p>\n Nadella\u2019s compensation is tied to shares\u2014so as long as Microsoft rides the AI wave, so does his pay<\/p>\n Since ChatGPT\u2019s debut in November 2022, investors from Wall Street to Main Street have piled into the AI boom. Citigroup<\/a> strategists estimate that nearly 50% of the S&P 500\u2019s overall roughly $57 trillion in market capitalization has \u201chigh\u201d or \u201cmedium\u201d exposure to AI, according to a report from Reuters.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n Despite these investments, many warn it could be a bubble waiting to burst<\/a>, similarly to the dot-com bubble in the late 90s. But for now, as long as Microsoft rides the AI wave, so does its CEO\u2019s pay. About 90% of his compensation, which includes a $2.5 million salary, is in Microsoft shares, the company said in the filing.\u00a0<\/p>\n Nadella became Microsoft\u2019s third CEO in 2014, with a $84.3 <\/a>million compensation package. In a note to shareholders, the board compensation committee wrote that his increased salary reflects his success in positioning \u201cMicrosoft as a clear artificial intelligence leader for this generational technology shift.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Nadella\u2019s pay compared to other tech CEOs<\/p>\n Compared to other leaders in the tech space, Nadella\u2019s reported pay is a large amount. For example, in May Nvidia<\/a> CEO Jensen Huang got his first salary increase <\/a>in a decade, with 2025 pay rising to $49.9 million.\u00a0<\/p>\n Huang\u2019s pay<\/a> includes $6 million that he received as part of a non-equity incentive plan, $38.8 million in stock awards, and $3.5 million for residential security, driver services, security monitoring, and car expenses.<\/p>\n Apple<\/a> chief exec Tim Cook made more than $74.6 million in 2024<\/a>. His pay included $58.1 million in stock awards, $12 million in non-equity incentive plan compensation and $1.5 million in other compensation. <\/p>\n