New Delhi: Google, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Alphabet, has raised CEO Sundar Pichai’s total potential compensation to $692 million over the next three years, making him one of the highest-paid executives globally, the Financial Times reported on Saturday.
The bulk of the package comes from performance stock units (PSUs) valued at $126 million, split evenly into two tranches, the report mentioned.
These PSUs are linked to Alphabet’s total shareholder return relative to the S&P 100, and could double to $252 million if performance targets are exceeded, or yield nothing if benchmarks are missed.
Moreover, Pichai will receive $84 million in restricted stock vesting monthly over three years, alongside an annual salary of $2 million, said the report.
The tech giant also introduced new stock incentives totalling up to $350 million, tied to the growth of its autonomous ventures.
The Google CEO will receive $130 million in Waymo stock and $45 million in Wing Aviation shares, both capable of paying out up to 200 per cent of their target value, according to the report.
Alphabet’s board said the incentives reflect the company’s confidence in Pichai’s leadership of Waymo and Wing, which it described as “tackling enormous challenges in autonomous driving and delivery” under his supervision.
Since becoming CEO in August 2015, Pichai has overseen a nearly sevenfold increase in Google’s market capitalisation, from $535 billion to $3.6 trillion, briefly hitting $4 trillion in January.
The Indian-born, 53-year-old former McKinsey consultant, joined Google in 2004 –developing Chrome and leading Android before rising to the top role.
Earlier this week, Pichai sold 32,500 Class C shares worth roughly $9.8 million, and he and his wife own 1.67 million Google shares valued at $498 million at Friday’s closing price of $298 per share, according to reports.
In comparison, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella earned $96.5 million in fiscal 2025, while Apple’s Tim Cook took home $74.3 million.
(IANS)
