Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella’s pay reached a record $96.5 million, and he received a 22% pay increase, which reflects the significant rise in the shares of the technology giant, which is worth $4 trillion.

New agent Deposit I revealed it Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella’s pay package jumped to $96.5 million in fiscal 2025, the highest amount paid since he became CEO more than a decade ago. His earnings include more than $84 million in stock awards, more than $9.5 million in cash incentives, and $196,294 in all other compensation.

Nadella’s big payday was thanks in part to the performance of the tech giants’ stocks, which have seen generous gains amid enthusiasm for artificial intelligence investments.

In 2025 alone, Microsoft’s stock price has risen 23%, with shares more than doubling in value over the past three years. Today, Microsoft’s market cap is about $4 trillion.

Nadella’s compensation is tied to stock, so as long as Microsoft is riding the AI ​​wave, so is his pay

Since ChatGPT’s debut in November 2022, investors from Wall Street to Main Street have converged on the AI ​​boom. Citigroup Strategists estimate that nearly 50% of the S&P 500’s total market cap of roughly $57 trillion has “high” or “moderate” exposure to artificial intelligence, according to a report from Reuters.

Despite these investments, many warn that they may be… A bubble waiting to burstsimilar to the dot-com bubble of the late 1990s. But for now, as long as Microsoft rides the AI ​​wave, its CEO’s pay will stay that way. About 90% of his compensation, which includes his $2.5 million salary, is in Microsoft stock, the company said in the filing.

Nadella became Microsoft’s third CEO in 2014, along with A $84.3 Million-dollar compensation package. In a note to shareholders, the board’s compensation committee wrote that his salary increase reflects his success in positioning “Microsoft as the clear AI leader for this generational technology shift.”

Nadella’s pay compared to other tech CEOs

Compared to other leaders in technology, Nadella’s reported pay is a significant amount. For example, in May Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang received his first paycheck He increases in a decade, with the 2025 wage rising to $49.9 million.

Huang pays It includes $6 million he received as part of a non-equity incentive plan, $38.8 million in stock awards, and $3.5 million for residential security, chauffeur services, security monitoring, and automobile expenses.

apple CEO Tim Cook made more than $74.6 million In 2024. His compensation included $58.1 million in stock awards, $12 million in non-stock incentive plan compensation, and $1.5 million in other compensation.

By comparison, average total compensation for CEOs of S&P 500 companies is about $17.1 million for 2024, according to Recent data. Compensation for the tech industry giants tends to be higher, averaging about $19.3 million in 2024, just 20% of Nadella’s new pay package.