Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

US Bankers' Pay Is World's Highest—by Far

By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff

Posted Sep 23, 2009 4:33 PM CDT

(Newser) – US bank CEOs are paid drastically more than their counterparts around the world. The CEO of Commercial Bank of China, the largest bank in the world, brings home just $234,700 a year—or roughly 2% of JP Morgan boss Jamie Dimon’s $19.6 million haul. The US has only four of the world’s 20 biggest banks, but all four are among the top six in CEO compensation, says a Reuters analysis.

Outside of China, all of the CEOs made more than $1 million, but still well below US levels. The highest paid non-American was Banco Santander SA’s Alfredo Saenz at $13.66 million, and pay fell swiftly from there. “US executive pay levels have always dwarfed pay for companies elsewhere,” says one Wall Street critic. Yet “somehow they manage to find people who can run major global firms while making a fraction of what” the Americans make.

The 10 highest-paid CEOs for 2008 at Standard & Poor's 500 companies based on calculations by The Associated Press are shown in this photo combo.
The 10 highest-paid CEOs for 2008 at Standard & Poor's 500 companies based on calculations by The Associated Press are shown in this photo combo.   (AP Photo)
JP Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon, left, and Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein, leave the White House, March 27, 2009, after a meeting between chief executives and President Barack Obama.
JP Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon, left, and Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein, leave the White House, March 27, 2009, after a meeting between chief executives and President Barack Obama.   (AP Photo/Ron Edmonds)
In this Feb. 11, 2009, file photo, Goldman Sachs & Co. CEO Lloyd C. Blankfein, left, and JPMorgan Chase CEO James Dimon, testify on Capitol Hill.
In this Feb. 11, 2009, file photo, Goldman Sachs & Co. CEO Lloyd C. Blankfein, left, and JPMorgan Chase CEO James Dimon, testify on Capitol Hill.   (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, file)
JP Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon, left, and Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein leave the White House, March 27, 2009, following a meeting between chief executives and President Barack Obama.
JP Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon, left, and Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein leave the White House, March 27, 2009, following a meeting between chief executives and President Barack Obama.   (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
To report an error on this story, notify our editors.
COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 13 comments
Hip
Sep 26, 2009 12:41 PM CDT
What kind of a person tries to use big words to protect people that have way more than too much money and steps on people that are dying without (and with) health care? TheMan, you obviously don't understand true happiness and I feel sorry for you. True happiness, true human experience, true feeling, and true love are all things that can't be purchased. Sorry to hear you think that way, cause it must be hell waking up to your life every day. You are the one with the envy problem.
Unaffiliated
Sep 24, 2009 12:49 PM CDT
@TheMan, what did these "big men" do to earn this money? They drove their companies down the toilet, got the government (with our money) to bail them out of the toilet, and now their companies are going right back to the same risky behavior, dealing in complex derivatives and gaming the system, that got us here in the first place. In other news, I hope you've cleaned up your act, CK/Buh. Refrain from the racism and attacking other Newser commentators.
JonmarkP
Sep 24, 2009 12:39 PM CDT
Now THESE are jobs than need to be outsourced to India, to China, to New Jersey...
 

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS
Other Sites We Like:   24/7 Wall St.   |   BuzzFeed   |   Cracked   |   Timelines   |   POPSUGAR Tech   |   Business Insider   |   HuffPost Entertainment   |   NewsOne