Taser Boss Tops Ranking of Highest-Paid CEOs, With $165 Million. Here’s the List.
In the latest Wall Street Journal analysis of CEO pay, Rick Smith, CEO of Axon (maker of the Taser), topped the list with a staggering $165 million in total compensation for 2023. This figure is largely attributed to long-term stock awards tied to ambitious performance milestones.
The rankings are powered by proprietary data from MyLogIQ, a leading provider of SEC intelligence solutions. MyLogIQ compiled executive compensation details from over 400 S&P 500 companies by extracting and structuring data from 2024 proxy filings (DEF 14A).
Key Insights from MyLogIQ’s Analysis:
- 27 CEOs earned more than $50 million in 2023—twice as many as the prior year.
- The median CEO pay among S&P 500 firms rose to $15.7 million, an 8% increase from 2022.
- Pay packages continue to shift toward performance-based stock awards and long-term incentive plans.
- Industries like tech and healthcare led the surge, reflecting strong equity market performance.
MyLogIQ’s structured data helped surface trends in executive pay composition, including stock option valuations, vesting conditions, and realized versus reported compensation. This analytical backbone provided WSJ with a transparent and comparative view of compensation across major U.S. corporations.
Source: WSJ analysis using MyLogIQ data | Published June 1, 2025
