During a year in which Hollywood television and film production came to a halt due to the dual strikes, the lofty pay packages of the entertainment industry’s top brass became a key point of scrutiny.
But according to TheWrap’s annual study of executive pay, while many media and entertainment executives saw a decrease in compensation compared to the previous year, most continued to rake in tens of millions, dwarfing the median earnings of their workforces.
In 2023, 21 top executives amassed $641.82 million in total compensation, up 16% from 2022, our analysis showed.
Topping the 2023 list was Chris Winfrey, CEO of Charter Communications, who pulled in total compensation of $89 million, almost five times as much as 2022, due mostly to stock option awards.