For the study, researchers examined the CEOs of publicly traded companies that made more than $1 billion in revenue and filed their proxy statements with the government between Jan. 1, 2017 and May 1, 2017. Researchers noted that some states did not maintain the headquarters of a publicly traded company large enough to be included.
To determine a CEO’s total pay, researchers added the individual’s salary, bonuses, stock awards, stock option awards, deferred compensation and any benefits or perks s/he may have received as the leader of the organization.
Here are the eight top-paid CEOs listed in alphabetical order by state, according to the study.
- Delaware: Hervé Hoppenot, CEO of Incyte (pharmaceuticals) — $11.8 million
- Illinois: Richard Gonzalez, CEO of AbbVie (pharmaceuticals) — $18 million
- Indiana: Joseph Swedish, CEO of Anthem (insurance) — $16.5 million
- Maine: Jonathan Ayers, CEO of IDEXX Laboratories (pharmaceuticals) — $5.9 million
- Minnesota: Stephen Hemsley, CEO of UnitedHealth Group (insurance) — $15.7 million
- Missouri: Michael Neidorff, CEO of Centene Corp. (insurance) — $22 million
- New Jersey: Alex Gorsky, CEO of Johnson & Johnson (medical devices, pharmaceuticals) — $21.9 million
- Rhode Island: Larry Merlo, CEO of CVS Health (healthcare) — $18.4 million
To view the full list, click here.
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