Salaries of top 10 US CEOs in a decade

1. Larry Ellison

Software major Oracle Corp founder and chief executive Larry Ellison topped the list of best-paid executives in public companies during the past decade, receiving $1.84 billion (Rs 8,587 crore) as compensation, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis.

The 65-year-old Ellison, who founded Oracle in 1977, holds 23 per cent stake in the company.

In the 10 years ended May 31, 2009, the most recent fiscal year for which Oracle has disclosed pay data, its market capitalisation nearly tripled to $98 billion, from $36 billion.

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2. Barry Diller

Barry Diller has bagged the second position in the list of 25 best-paid executives during the past decade. Diller received roughly $1.14 billion (Rs 5,322 crore) from IAC/InterActive and Expedia.com, the online travel site IAC spun off in 2005, where he remains chairman.

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3. Ray Irani

In the third place is Occidental Petroleum Corp's CEO Ray Irani with $857 million (Rs 4,000 crore).

Further, several of the wealthiest executives were not among the top earners. Warren Buffett of Berkshire Hathaway Inc receives only a nominal compensation. Microsoft chairman Bill Gates stepped down as CEO in January 2000, and retired as a Microsoft employee in 2008.

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4. Steve Jobs

Number four in the list is Apple Inc's CEO Steve Jobs with $749 million (Rs 3,496 crore).

"Apple's Jobs also took a $1 annual salary throughout the decade. But he ranked fourth primarily because of a $647 million gain on restricted stock that was granted in 2003 and vested in 2006. He still holds the shares," the report noted.

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5. Richard Fairbank

Capital One Financial Corp CEO Richard Fairbank with $569 million (Rs 2,655 crore) is in the fifth position.

Interestingly, four of the 10 highest-earning executives ran companies (IAC/InterActive, Countrywide, Capital One and Cendant Corp) whose shareholders lost money over the decade.

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6. Terry S Semel

Number 6 on the list is Yahoo's Terry S Semel with a compensation of $489.60 million (Rs 2,285 crore).

The Journal analysis included salaries, bonuses, perks and realised gains on both restricted stock and stock options.

It excluded new grants of restricted stock and stock options.

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7. Michael S Dell

Michael S Dell of Dell Inc with a compensation of $453.80 million (Rs 2,119 crore) is number 7 on the list.

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8. Irwin Mark Jacobs

Qualcomm's Irwin Mark Jacobs at $436.8 million (Rs 2,039 crore) stands eighth in the list.

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9. Sanford I Weill

Sanford I Weill of Citigroup with $360.9 million (Rs 1,684 crore) is next at number 9.

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10. Reuben Mark

Colgate-Palmolive's Reuben Mark, who got a compensation of $357.6 million (Rs 1,669 crore) in the past decade, completes the top 10 list.