The top five highest paid chief executives in the pharmaceutical industry received a combined total of $157.8 million in compensation for 2025, representing a 24% increase from the previous year, according to a May 27 report. Eli Lilly’s David Ricks led the group with a package valued at $36.7 million, marking a 26% rise over his prior year’s pay.
Ricks’ compensation included $23.3 million in stock awards and a base salary of $1.7 million. The company attributed his pay to strong financial performance, including a 45% revenue increase to $65 billion and an 86% rise in earnings per share to $24.41, as well as overseeing positive clinical data across multiple trials and significant investments both domestically and internationally.
Johnson & Johnson’s Joaquin Duato ranked second with $32.6 million after helping drive company revenue to $94.2 billion for the year and managing strategic deals and succession planning efforts cited by the board as justification for his package. AbbVie’s Robert Michael followed closely at third with $32.5 million—a notable jump from eleventh place last year—after assuming both CEO and board chair roles during the period.
Gilead Sciences’ Daniel O’Day earned fourth place with total compensation of $28.4 million, reflecting robust sales from its HIV portfolio and advancements in oncology drug launches described by Gilead as advancing "the most robust pipeline in its history." Pfizer’s Albert Bourla rounded out the list at fifth with $27.6 million amid ongoing restructuring efforts within Pfizer following key acquisitions such as Metsera.
Most of these CEOs received their largest payouts through stock awards rather than base salaries, which ranged between $1.6 and $1.8 million among this group.
In response to policy pressures on drug pricing and manufacturing practices throughout the year, several CEOs appeared at high-profile events or made public statements regarding administration policies, while overseeing significant investment commitments or business development transactions.
