Fierce Pharma Releases 2025 Top 10 Highest-Paid CEOs of Global Pharmaceutical Giants

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On June 16 local time, Fierce Pharma released the Top 10 List of CEO Compensation at Pharmaceutical Giants for 2025. Among them, Eli Lilly,Johnson & Johnson,CEOs of Pfizer, Amgen, Gilead, AstraZeneca, and Bristol Myers Squibb Continue to Be Selected.

However, compared with the 2024 list, the CEOs of Merck & Co., BioNTech, and Vertex failed to make the list this year, replaced by several new faces from AbbVie, Incyte, and Biogen. (Note: Fierce Pharma only includes CEOs of commercial pharmaceutical companies with a market capitalization of $20 billion or more.)

Screenshot source:Fierce  Pharma Official Website

Name: David Ricks

Company: Eli Lilly

2025 Total Compensation: $36.7 million

2024 Total Compensation: $29.2 Million

Change: +22.8%

David Ricks has served as CEO of Eli Lilly since 2017, when his annual compensation was $15.8 million. In recent years, his pay has soared, driven by strong sales of Lilly’s new diabetes and obesity drugs, Mounjaro and Zepbound.In 2025, Ricks’ total compensation amounted to approximately $36.7 million, representing a year-over-year increase of 22.8%.。

In 2025, Eli Lilly reported a robust 44% revenue growth to $65.179 billion, rising to the third position among multinational corporations (MNCs). In terms of pharmaceutical business revenue alone, Eli Lilly has become the global leader. According to the company, since David Ricks took the helm, Eli Lilly’s cumulative revenue increase has reached approximately 207%.

Furthermore, in 2025, Eli Lilly achieved a significant milestone in the pharmaceutical industry by becoming the first pharmaceutical company with a market capitalization exceeding $1 trillion, whereas in 2017, when Ricks first took over, its market capitalization was only $82 billion.

Name: Joaquin Duato

Company: Johnson & Johnson

2025 Total Compensation: $32.8 Million

2024 Total Compensation: $24.6 Million

Change: +33%

In 2025, Duato's total compensation amounted to $32.8 million, a year-on-year increase of 33%.From 2024 to 2025, Duato’s equity awards increased from $15.7 million to $21 million, and his bonus rose from $4 million to $4.3 million. Meanwhile, his pension increased by $5.3 million last year.

Joaquin Duato has served as CEO of Johnson & Johnson since 2022. Upon taking office, he faced a formidable challenge: sustaining revenue growth while the company spun off its consumer health division, Kenvue. In his first year at the helm, Johnson & Johnson reported annual revenue of $80 billion. In 2025, with full-year revenue reaching $94.193 billion, Johnson & Johnson secured the top spot among global pharmaceutical companies by total revenue for the third consecutive year.Johnson & Johnson expects its 2026 revenue to surpass $100 billion。

Name: Robert Michael

Company: AbbVie

2025 Total Compensation: $32.5 Million

2024 Total Compensation: $18.4 million

Change: +75%

AbbVie CEO Michael Rises to Top-Paid CEO Ranks in Just Two YearsIn 2025, his total annual compensation reached $32.5 million, a year-over-year increase of 75%.Michael is the first CEO of AbbVie whose compensation has surpassed the $30 million mark.

AbbVie pointed out that Michael’s substantial compensation was aligned with his 2025 strategic and leadership objectives, which he “has achieved or exceeded.” These objectives included creating value for shareholders, bolstering investor confidence, advancing products in development, and driving the company’s “transition to a biopharmaceutical culture,” among others. In 2025, AbbVie’s total revenue amounted to $61.16 billion.（+8.6%）, ranking sixth on the list of pharmaceutical giants by revenue.

Name: Bill Meury

Company: Incyte

2025 Total Compensation: $32 Million

2024 Total Compensation: N/A

Change: N/A

Meury officially assumed the role of CEO at Incyte in June 2025, having served for just one year. In 2025, his annual compensation reached $32 million. Incyte stated that Meury’s compensation partially reflects the Compensation Committee’s consideration of “the amount necessary to attract an executive of his caliber, given his extensive experience in operations, commercialization, transactions, and senior management.” Consequently, Meury received a one-time performance-based stock award, subject to the satisfaction of certain performance conditions.

Prior to joining Incyte, Meury led Anthos Therapeutics until its acquisition by Novartis for $925 million. Previously, he served as CEO of Karuna Therapeutics, guiding the company through its $14 billion sale to Bristol Myers Squibb. His career began at Forest Laboratories, which was later acquired by Allergan.

Name: Daniel O’day

Company: Gilead Sciences

2025 Total Compensation: $28.4 Million

2024 Total Compensation: $23.6 Million

Change: +20%

After working at Roche for more than 30 years, O'Day joined Gilead, which provided him with a $29.1 million sign-on package. Since then, his compensation has risen year by year.In 2025, O’Day’s annual salary was $28.4 million, a year-on-year increase of 20%., marking the highest compensation since he assumed the role of CEO at Gilead. Gilead noted that the company ties 100% of the CEO’s performance evaluation to overall corporate performance.

In terms of compensation structure, O’Day’s base salary in 2025 remained flat compared to previous years. The increase was primarily driven by: stock awards rising from $12.42 million in the prior year to $15.23 million; option awards increasing to $4.5 million; and non-equity incentive plan compensation rising to $4.84 million. Additionally, other expenses increased from $1.3 million in the prior year to $2.05 million in 2025, with these costs primarily attributed to security measures.

Name: Albert Bourla

Company: Pfizer

2025 Total Compensation: $27.6 million

2024 Total Compensation: $24.6 Million

Change: +12.2%

In 2025, Bourla’s annual salary increased by 12.2% to $27.6 million, marking the second-highest compensation since he assumed the role of CEO in 2019. Bourla is a familiar name on the list of CEOs of pharmaceutical giants, having appeared on it multiple times. Although his compensation increased in 2025, his ranking declined somewhat.(Ranked 3rd in 2024)。

In terms of compensation structure, Bourla’s base salary was $1.8 million, his annual short-term bonus amounted to $5.4 million, and the total value of long-term stock and option awards reached $18.4 million. Additionally, Bourla received $1.94 million in other compensation, covering expenses for the use of corporate aircraft, financial advisory services, security, and other services.

Name: Pascal Soriot

Company: AstraZeneca

2025 Total Compensation: £19.3 million ($25.4 million)

2024 Total Compensation: £17.9 million ($23.8 million)

Change: +7.5%

In 2025,Soriot’s total compensation amounted to £19.3 million, representing a 7.5% increase from his 2024 pay.According to the company’s annual report, Soriot’s base salary was £1.54 million, and his total annual bonus amounted to nearly £4.26 million. In addition, Soriot received long-term performance-based equity awards valued at £13.1 million, which will vest at face value between 2025 and 2027.

AstraZeneca’s compensation package was influenced by multiple factors, including a rise in its stock price, which increased by nearly 40% last year. In addition to stock performance, revenue growth was also a key factor. In 2025, AstraZeneca’s revenue reached $58.739 billion, representing a 9% increase from the previous year. The company is currently progressing toward its goal of achieving $80 billion in revenue by 2030.

Name: Robert Bradway

Company: Amgen

2025 Total Compensation: $24.7 million

2024 Total Compensation: $24.4 million

Change: +1%

Bradway has served as Amgen’s CEO for 14 years. Under his leadership, Amgen’s revenue grew from $17.3 billion in 2012 to $36.8 billion in 2025.（YOY+10%）, with its market capitalization also more than tripling.

In 2025, Bradway’s annual salary was $24.7 million, representing a 1% year-over-year increase.Among these, his base salary increased by 3.3% to $1.92 million, and his bonus also saw a slight increase, reaching $3.9 million. In explaining the CEO compensation plan, the Amgen Compensation Committee pointed out that the company met or exceeded revenue and net profit targets, advanced its product pipeline, effectively executed clinical trial and regulatory strategies, achieved workforce transformation, and completed technology acquisition goals.

Name: Chris Viehbacher

Company: Biogen

2025 Total Compensation: $23.64 million

2024 Total Compensation: $24.16 million

Change: -2%

Viehbacher became CEO of Biogen at the end of 2022, leading the company in a new strategic direction.In 2025, Viehbacher's annual salary was $23.64 million, a 2% decrease from 2024.. The majority of Viehbacher’s compensation consisted of stock awards, totaling nearly $18.37 million last year; his base salary was $1.73 million, and his non-equity cash bonus amounted to $3.19 million. Viehbacher’s “other” compensation totaled approximately $358,000, primarily related to the company’s contributions to a supplemental savings plan.

Biogen referenced five performance metrics in calculating cash bonuses: total revenue, growth product revenue, earnings per share, R&D pipeline development, and corporate social responsibility. Impacted by the expiration of Tysabri’s patent, Biogen’s total revenue saw only slight growth last year; however, its growth product revenue increased by 19% year-over-year, reaching $3.3 billion. In terms of its R&D pipeline, Biogen has 10 projects entering Phase III clinical trials, covering immunological diseases, rare diseases, and neurological disorders.

Name: Chris Boerner

Company: Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS)

2025 Total Compensation: $21.8 million

2024 Total Compensation: $18.8 million

Change: +16%

In 2025, Boerner’s annual salary was $21.8 million, representing a 16% year-over-year increase.. Boerner’s compensation growth was primarily driven by an increase in equity awards, which rose from $13.6 million to $16.1 million. Additionally, his salary increased from $1.54 million to $1.59 million, and other compensation rose from $372,436 to $477,490.

BMS stated that the company exceeded all its financial targets in 2025, including operating margin, earnings per share, total revenue, and revenue from its growth product portfolio. Meanwhile, the company “delivered strong clinical and regulatory performance,” which included securing 18 approvals from regulatory authorities in the United States, the European Union, Japan, and China.

Boerner officially assumed the role of CEO at BMS in November 2023. HeHe assumed office facing a daunting challenge, as BMS had four blockbuster drugs nearing patent expiration. To bolster its product pipeline, BMS completed the acquisitions of Mirati, Karuna, and RayzeBio in 2024.In 2025, BMS acquired 2seventy bio and Orbital Therapeutics in the cell therapy sector. Looking ahead to 2026, the CEO stated that he still plans to “cast a wide net” in mergers and acquisitions.

Article reposted from: Insight

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