Exclusive-S&P 500 CEO pay jumps to record as Musk-inspired compensation plans spread

Reuters reports that S&P 500 CEO pay hit a record in 2025, with average compensation rising 21% to $22.8 million even excluding Tesla’s Elon Musk. The surge is being driven by increasingly large, Musk-inspired pay packages that boards are using as reference points, according to AFL-CIO data. Including Musk’s Tesla award, average S&P 500 CEO pay jumps to $340.1 million and the average CEO-to-worker pay ratio reaches 5,387:1. The article highlights growing shareholder unease, as special one-off awards remain controversial despite generally strong support for say-on-pay votes. For the broader market, the story underscores rising governance and inequality concerns that could attract more scrutiny of executive compensation practices, especially at high-profile companies like Goldman Sachs and Welltower.