While Americans are monitoring their grocery budgets and delaying major life purchases, their employers are being awarded record-breaking salaries. Some of the highest-paid CEOs can watch the annual wage of a U.S. worker hit their bank accounts over the span of just hours. Take Apple’s Tim Cook, for example, he outearns the average American in less than a day’s work.

Apple, now a $4.1 trillion technology behemoth, has come a long way since its public debut 45 years ago. Under Cook’s leadership, it has become the second most valuable company on the planet—and his compensation reflects it.

Cook’s annual compensation grew to $74.6 million in 2024, an 18% increase from $63.2 million the year before. His eye-watering honeypot is comprised of $58.1 million in stock awards, $12 million in non-e

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