Story perspectives

WBD Merger Approved, CEO Gets $165M; CEOs Earn 20× Workers

5/1/2026

Summary

Story summary

Oxfam and the International Trade Union Confederation report found U.S. CEO compensation grew about 20 times faster than private-sector workers’ wages in 2024-2025.
Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav received a 2025 compensation package of $165 million, driven by $109.6 million in option awards linked to a planned corporate split.
Shareholders voted overwhelmingly to approve the Warner Bros. Discovery merger with Paramount, while non-binding proxy votes rejected Zaslav’s proposed golden parachute.

History

Historical Context

KKR, led by Henry Kravis, executed a 1989 $31.1 billion leveraged buyout of RJR Nabisco, the era’s largest LBO, spotlighting massive executive payouts—Ross Johnson received $53 million and appeared on a Time cover. The deal’s public outcry prompted calls for corporate-governance changes and today’s heightened shareholder scrutiny of CEO compensation, as seen in recent proxy battles.

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Story summary

Oxfam and the International Trade Union Confederation report found U.S. CEO compensation grew about 20 times faster than private-sector workers’ wages in 2024-2025.
Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav received a 2025 compensation package of $165 million, driven by $109.6 million in option awards linked to a planned corporate split.
Shareholders voted overwhelmingly to approve the Warner Bros. Discovery merger with Paramount, while non-binding proxy votes rejected Zaslav’s proposed golden parachute.

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