Nvidia's billionaire CEO Jensen Huang's salary rises for first time in decade

The May 1 filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission shows that along with Huang’s base salary, his variable cash compensation, his stock awards grew to $38.8 million, bringing his total pay package to $49.9 million, according to CNBC.

Nvidia’s compensation committee said the adjustment was necessary for internal pay equity among top executives, adding that it marked Huang’s first base salary raise in 10 years.

The filing also noted that in fiscal year 2025, the median Nvidia employee earned $301,233, resulting in a CEO-to-median employee pay ratio of 166:1, according to Entrepreneur.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang seen in Hanoi in December 2024. Photo by VnExpress/Luu Quy

By comparison, a separate SEC filing from Alphabet, Google’s parent company, revealed that the median Google employee earned $331,894 in 2024. CEO Sundar Pichai’s annual compensation was US$10.7 million, 32 times the typical employee’s salary.

Salary, however, is often just one component of executive pay. In fiscal year 2024, Huang’s total compensation reached $234 million, surpassing Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella’s $171 million and Apple CEO Tim Cook’s $169 million, as reported by Yahoo Finance.

As of May 6, Huang ranks as the 18th richest person in the world, with an estimated net worth of $99.6 billion, according to Forbes. Under Huang’s leadership, Nvidia has become a dominant force in the AI chip industry, holding an estimated 70% to 95% market share. Major clients include Meta and Microsoft. Huang’s 3.5% stake in the company is currently valued at about $94 billion.