-
We detected your language preference as English. Would you like to switch to the English version for a better experience?
Switch to English
Stay here
As multinational pharmaceutical companies disclose their financial reports, the salaries of their CEOs are also revealed. According to statistics, BioNTech's CEO ranks first in salary, Eli Lilly's CEO saw the highest increase in compensation, and Moderna's CEO reached the highest salary during his tenure.
U?ur ?ahin, CEO of the German pharmaceutical company BioNTech, topped the pharmaceutical CEO salary list for 2024 with €265 million (approximately $287 million).
However, the majority of his salary comes from stock options granted in 2019. In 2024, U?ur ?ahin exercised these stock options at €13.74 per share (around $15), while the company’s stock closed at €73.68, making the "intrinsic value" of the 4,374,963 shares he exercised reach €259.5 million (approximately $281 million).
David Ricks, CEO of Eli Lilly, saw his salary increase nearly double during his eight-year tenure, from $15.8 million in 2017 to $29.2 million in 2024.
In 2024, Eli Lilly's revenue grew by 32%, reaching $45 billion, and its earnings per share increased by 106%, largely driven by the surge in sales of its GLP-1/GIP dual agonists, Mounjaro and Zepbound.
Albert Bourla, CEO of Pfizer, received a 14% increase in total compensation in 2024, reaching $24.6 million, marking his second-highest annual income during his six-year tenure.
This year, Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine sales unexpectedly rebounded strongly, contributing to a 7% increase in total revenue. The company also highlighted in its shareholder proxy statement that Bourla successfully implemented a $4 billion cost-cutting plan and launched seven key research initiatives, along with its acquisition of Seagen, a leader in antibody-drug conjugates, which boosted oncology sales to third globally.
Joaquin Duato, CEO of Johnson & Johnson, experienced a 14% salary reduction in 2024, down to $24.3 million. Nevertheless, this salary remains relatively high in the pharmaceutical industry.
Despite Moderna’s revenue dropping 53% in 2024 due to weak sales of its two vaccines, CEO Stéphane Bancel still received an annual compensation package worth $19.87 million, marking the highest salary during his tenure.
Bancel’s base salary was raised by 4% to $1.6 million, and he also received a $1.9 million bonus. The remainder, $15 million, came from stock and options-based equity incentives, with an additional $960,000 for security expenses and other allowances. Despite the revenue pressure, Bancel’s salary increase reflects the company’s recognition of his leadership.
Robert Michael, the new CEO of AbbVie, received a compensation of $18.5 million in his first year, with stock and option awards making up the largest portion ($10 million).
The company successfully filled the gap left by the patent expiration of its top-selling drug, Humira, with new immuno-oncology drugs Skyrizi and Rinvoq, with sales reaching $11.7 billion and $6 billion, respectively, in 2024. AbbVie’s stock price rose as a result.
Despite AstraZeneca’s 18% revenue growth in 2024 and 14 blockbuster products, CEO Pascal Soriot's total compensation fell from ￡17.4 million (around $21.9 million) in 2023 to ￡14.7 million (around $18.5 million). The main reason is that his salary is linked to the stock price, and AstraZeneca’s stock performance has been underwhelming over the past two years.
With sales growth in 2024, the CEOs of the Swiss pharmaceutical giants Novartis and Roche also saw increases in their compensation.
Novartis CEO Vas Narasimhan’s salary grew by 6.9% to CHF 14.2 million (around $15.7 million), with long-term stock incentives making up the bulk of the pay.
Roche CEO Thomas Schinecker’s salary rose by 4.6% to CHF 10.4 million (around $11.1 million), with increases in both base salary and bonuses.
Emma Walmsley, CEO of GlaxoSmithKline, saw a 16% salary reduction in 2024, down to ￡10.6 million (around $13.4 million). However, GSK introduced a new compensation plan, and if the company’s stock price grows by 50% in 2025, her salary could potentially double to ￡21.56 million (around $27.1 million).
2024 marked the beginning of Bayer's large-scale corporate restructuring, and CEO Bill Anderson’s salary was reduced by about 21%, down to €8.84 million (around $9.6 million). However, his base salary remained the same as in 2023, and both short-term and long-term stock incentives increased. Bayer’s restructuring aims to revitalize its pharmaceutical pipeline, address litigation, and cut down on bureaucracy, and despite the many challenges, Anderson remains confident about the company's transformation in 2025 and beyond.
 |
 |
 |
EN
Agricultural News
Food News
Industrial News
Cosmetic News
Pharmaceutical News
Science News
