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Why CEO Pay Is So High: The Starbucks Case and Beyond

A recent AFL‑CIO Executive Paywatch report, based on 2024 SEC filings, found that Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol earned nearly $98 million, making him the highest‑paid CEO among the 500 largest U.S. public companies—6,666 times more than the company’s typical worker, whose annual pay was under $15,000.

While Niccol’s compensation gap is an extreme outlier, it reflects a wider reality: the average S&P 500 CEO made $18.9 million in 2024, or 285 times the median worker’s $49,500 salary, up from 268:1 in 2023. Other top earners include Bob Iger at Disney and leaders of Axon, Netflix, Apple, and JPMorgan, all of whom routinely receive packages well into the eight- or nine-figure range.

Why Do CEOs Earn So Much?

1. Pay-for-Performance Structures

Executive compensation is typically calibrated around measurable outcomes such as stock price performance, total shareholder return, or EPS growth. CEOs like Niccol receive substantial long-term equity awards meant to align their incentives with shareholder value, though critics often cite that these packages often reward success that falls short or is disconnected from median worker contributions.

2. Talent Market Pressures

Corporations argue that attracting top-tier leadership in fiercely competitive global industries requires premium compensation. Retaining executives capable of steering multinational consumer and technology firms drives boards to offer substantial rewards, partly due to peer benchmarking within elite compensation clusters.

3. Governance and CEO Influence

Compensation committees don’t always act independently of management. Per News.com, studies show compensation consultants help ratchet CEO pay upward by targeting upper percentile benchmarks. Meanwhile, CEOs can exert influence over boards, weakening internal checks and reinforcing a high-compensation culture.

Part of the stark ratio in Niccol’s case, specifically, stems from the makeup of Starbucks’ workforce: a large majority are part-time employees, many of whom are students or hold barista roles as side jobs. Additionally, Starbucks offers a variety of benefits even to part-time staffers.

Corporate Responsibility and the Ripple Effect of Executive Leadership

While large compensation packages have long drawn public scrutiny, companies argue that competitive executive pay reflects the high-stakes responsibilities placed on their top leaders—responsibilities that directly affect shareholder returns, brand strength, and long-term employee success. At Starbucks, for example, Brian Niccol’s appointment as CEO followed a successful tenure at Chipotle, where he helped lead the brand’s turnaround after a series of food safety crises and rebuilt public trust while boosting profitability. That track record of transformation made him a strategic hire for Starbucks as the company looked to expand globally and modernize operations in a competitive retail environment.

Proponents of performance-based compensation argue that effective leadership can generate a “trickle‑down” effect: corporate successes may translate into higher stock valuations, job stability, stronger 401(k) plans, and investments in employee training and store infrastructure. Niccol’s “Back to Starbucks” plan, for example, includes $500 million in investments in labor and store hours, and ambitious upgrades to 1,000 stores by 2026, along with service enhancements and menu innovation

It’s worth noting that many large companies with wide CEO-to-worker pay gaps still make significant investments in employee development and social impact. At Apple, for instance, CEO Tim Cook – who outearns employees 1447:1 and succeeded the legendary Steve Jobs – has overseen major expansions in workforce education and sustainability programs, while JPMorgan Chase’s Jamie Dimon has championed workforce reentry initiatives and small business lending programs in underserved communities. Meanwhile, Walmart, often scrutinized for its CEO pay gap, has increased its average hourly wage to over $17 and launched debt-free college tuition programs for employees. These efforts are indicative of how executive leadership can contribute to broader initiatives that benefit workers, particularly when companies are transparent about long-term investments in human capital and community engagement.

The final measure of success—financial performance, employee impact, and sustained growth—may only become clear over time. But in the context of compensation debates, there remains space for viewing pay not only as a point of critique, but as one input among many in corporate stewardship and value creation.

For taxpayers, understanding how executive compensation shapes corporate decisions, and how those decisions ripple through jobs, benefits, and economic policy, is important. Contact our office for assistance with your own tax planning needs.

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