Hock Tan — $162 Million (Broadcom)

Broadcom's CEO received a staggering $162 million compensation package in 2023 largely through stock options, making him one of the highest-paid executives in semiconductor history while the company aggressively cut costs and laid off 8,000 VMware employees post-acquisition. This amount is 55% higher than #4 Satya Nadella's $79 million Microsoft package, yet Broadcom's revenue is only one-third of Microsoft's. The stock options, valued at $140 million, vest over four years, but critics argue the layoffs boosted short-term stock prices artificially. With Broadcom's employee pay ratio hitting 1,800:1, Hock Tan's compensation exemplifies the extreme divergence between CEO rewards and workforce sacrifices.