This is the eighth year As You Sow has issued this report and a year where COVID-19 influenced voting outcomes. Shareholder opposition to CEO pay packages increased in the year ended June 30, 2021. CEO pay also continued to increase compared to the previous year.

Despite last year’s stories of CEOs promising to cut their own base salaries during the pandemic, later analysis showed this move had only a minimal effect on their total pay. ISS noted, “The median CEO pay package was at an all-time high in both [S&P 500 and Russell 3000] indices, despite the fact that many companies froze or reduced base salaries in response to the pandemic.” ISS says that total pay went up primarily “due to larger long-term equity incentives” given to the CEOs.

Who are the most overpaid CEOs?