Nvidia’s CEO, Jensen Huang, is set to receive his first pay increase in ten years, according to a regulatory filing from May 1. His total compensation for 2025 will be nearly $49.9 million, which includes a combination of his base salary and significant performance-related bonuses.
The filing reveals that Huang’s variable cash compensation and stock awards have climbed to $38.8 million, contributing to this substantial pay package. Nvidia’s compensation committee explained that this adjustment was essential for maintaining fairness in pay among top executives.
For reference, the median salary of an employee at Nvidia in fiscal year 2025 was reported to be $301,233, establishing a CEO-to-median employee pay ratio of 166:1.
In comparison, data from a different SEC filing showed that the median employee salary at Google, Alphabet’s parent company, was $331,894 in 2024, while CEO Sundar Pichai earned $10.7 million, which is 32 times more than the typical worker.
It’s worth noting that salary is just one part of an executive’s compensation. Last fiscal year, Huang’s total compensation soared to $234 million, exceeding that of Microsoft’s CEO Satya Nadella at $171 million and Apple’s CEO Tim Cook at $169 million.
As of May 6, Huang ranks as the 18th richest person globally, with a net worth estimated at $99.6 billion. Under his leadership, Nvidia has emerged as a leader in the AI chip market, capturing between 70% to 95% of the industry share, with major clients including Meta and Microsoft. Huang’s 3.5% ownership of Nvidia is valued at approximately $94 billion.
