Microsoft disclosed that CEO Satya Nadella earned USD 79.1 million in total compensation for the fiscal year ending 30 June, in a recent SEC filing. This figure is a big increase from the USD 48.5 million he received the previous year, primarily driven by stock awards included in his compensation package.
In an unusual move, Nadella had requested a reduction in his salary following a series of high-profile security incidents that the company faced. While he recognised the company's strong overall performance, he expressed personal accountability for the security challenges and urged the board to consider a departure from established performance metrics.
The proxy filing also mentioned Nadella's target performance stock award for 2024, set at USD 50 million. Microsoft’s board said that this figure represents an appropriate level of equity compensation, recognizing Nadella's exceptional leadership capabilities and the scale and complexity of Microsoft’s operations.