What Every Major Media Executive Got Paid in 2023

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As Hollywood went on strike, top brass made nearly $642 million in total compensation, 16% more than in 2022, TheWrap’s yearly analysis shows

Executive Pay Roundup
(L to r) First row: Reed Hastings, Ted Sarandos, Greg Peters, Brian Roberts, Mike Cavanagh, Kristin Dolan. Second row: Bob Iger, Bob Chapek, David Zaslav, JB Perrette, Bob Bakish and Rupert Murdoch (Chris Smith/TheWrap/Getty Images)

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.

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