The debate over CEO pay is decades long. Boards believe their chief executive officers have skills that cannot be replaced. Shareholders and workers believe that annual compensation, which can go into the tens or hundreds of millions of dollars, can never be justified, mainly if the company’s workers are paid very little.

…Based on 2022 data provided so far for S&P 500 companies, according to AI-driven SEC data company MyLogIQ, McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski made 1,224 times more than the median compensation of his workers. The pay for workers was $14,521, while Kempczinski made $17,770,514. McDonald’s said in its proxy that it is committed to a pay-for-performance culture. It appears that is not so for hourly workers. Entry-level jobs at the fast-food company pay between $11 and $17 an hour. The federal government reports that, for an individual, the pay at which someone is below the poverty level is $14,580 per year.