The milestone earnings of Afterpay co-founders Anthony Eisen and Nick Molnar have crowned them as the top-earning Australian CEOs of the 2021 financial year — no surprise, given the combined $264 million they pocketed.
On Wednesday, the Australian Council of Superannuation Investors (ACSI) unveiled its annual list of top-earning CEOs of ASX200 companies, taking note of their take-home pay, bonuses, and stock options linked to their executive positions.
Eisen and Molnar set a new record with $264,222,249 in combined realised earnings, in no small part due to the August 2020 decision to execute 1.5 million stock options at $1, when the Afterpay share price hovered near $90.
Beyond the fortunes of the Afterpay duo, ACSI noted executive earnings rebounded from the suppressed levels experienced in pandemic-struck 2020, when the economic outlook was far less certain.
“Our latest analysis shows that the pendulum swung significantly in the opposite direction over the following 12 months, evidencing a market-wide ‘catch up’ in pay for CEOs – and, most likely, their executive teams,” said ACSI CEO Louise Davidson.
Median cash pay for ASX100 CEOs — that is, earnings exclusive of bonuses or exercised stock options — was $2.8 million in the 2021 financial year, up 41.6% from the prior period.
And bonuses for ASX100 CEOs hit a new record of $2.31 million.
“An increase is expected when you have had your lowest year on record, but it is concerning to see bonuses not just rebounding but reaching new heights,” Davidson added.
The top 20 list of CEOs, their companies, and their realised earnings can be found below:
Senior Business Journalist
Focused on the small business sector, David’s work covers the political, regulatory, and economic issues facing Australian entrepreneurs. Prior to joining SmartCompany, he was a reporter for Business Insider Australia. You can follow him on LinkedIn.
