Les Moonves Is Hollywood’s Top Paid Executive and Other Takeaways From TheWrap’s Report
TheWrap’s annual study of the industry’s top earners shows big pay bumps for Charlie Ergen, Tim Cook and Ted Sarandos
Brian Welk | April 30, 2018 @ 7:18 AM
Last Updated: April 30, 2018 @ 9:05 AM
TheWrap
CBS Chairman, President and CEO Leslie Moonves is Hollywood’s top paid executive, earning $69.3 million in 2017.
In an annual study of Hollywood’s highest paid executives, TheWrap analyzed filings from the SEC and found that Moonves earned $20 million more than the next largest earner in Hollywood, Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes, and nearly twice the amount of Disney chief Bob Iger.
TheWrap’s report analyzes Hollywood’s top earners as well as the percentage change in their salary from 2016. The list will also be updated as additional major media companies report their take-home pay for their top executives.
Dish Network Chairman Charlie Ergen saw a 41 percent increase in his earnings from 2016 after losing the title of CEO in December.
Apple CEO Tim Cook had a 51 percent in his earnings after the company closed 2017 with its biggest quarter ever, earning $88.3 billion in revenue.
Viacom CEO Bob Bakish made $70 million less than his predecessor Philippe Dauman did in 2016.
Discovery President and CEO David Zazlav earned $42.2 million in 2017 after the company acquired Scripps for $15 billion.
Netflix’s Ted Sarandos and Reed Hastings saw a big uptick in their earnings after the company added 20 million subscribers in 2017.
The “Hollywood’s Highest Paid Executives” analysis is an annual feature conducted by TheWrap dating back to 2008, and past reports are available for comparison for each year.
Executive Compensation 2017: Top TV, Film and Tech Bosses Ranked by Pay (Photos)
There's no business like show business, and few bank on that fact yearly quite like Hollywood's top executives.
Scroll through our gallery for to see top TV, film and digital executives ranked by their 2017 executive compensation (updating as more companies release their top execs' packages).
Tim Cook Apple CEO 2016: $8.5 2017: $12.8 Change: +51 percent
Despite the iPhone X receiving a collective "meh," Apple is still cruising under Cook's stewardship; Apple hauled in a record-setting $88.3 billion in revenue during Q4 of 2017.
Bob Bakish Viacom CEO 2016: N/A (Predecessor Philippe Dauman made $93 million, thanks to golden parachute) 2017: $20.3 Million Change: N/A
The man at the opposite end of Moonves' very long (we imagine) negotiating table. Bakish is tight with National Amusements controller Shari Redstone, and both of them want the Viacom chief to be Moonves' No. 2 should the re-merger happen.
Ted Sarandos Netflix Chief Content Officer 2016: $18.9 million 2017: $22.4 million Change: +19%
Netflix added 20 million streamers and unleashed a slew of new content in 2017, including "Icarus," the drugs-in-cycling documentary that went on to win an Oscar. At the same time, its share price jumped 50 percent (before rocketing in 2018). Sarandos should take a bow -- and buy a very nice villa in the Mediterranean with his raise.
Reed Hastings Netflix President, Chairman and CEO 2016: $23.2 million 2017: $24.4 million Change: +5%
The Netflix head honcho joined the billionaire's club for the first time in 2017, thanks in large part to the company's gamble on original content paying off in spades. He's not taking a victory lap yet, though, with the streaming giant still firmly set on taking over Hollywood. At CodeCon 2017, he said he's always telling his content team to "get more aggressive," rather than "drive toward conformity."
Steve Burke NBCUniversal CEO 2016: $46.07 million 2017: $46.5 million Change: +0.9%
Burke's overall take for 2017 was roughly flat compared with 2016, but the NBCUniveral CEO managed to again bring in more than his boss at parent company Comcast.
Jeff Bewkes Time Warner CEO 2016: $32.6 million 2017: $49 million Change: +50%
Bewkes damn near matched his entire 2016 pay in 2017 stock options. Sometimes it's not so terrible for your company to be bought out. (You know, if the DOJ allows it.) Half of the Bewkes stock haul covers 2018, too -- an incentive to stick around through this merger.
Leslie Moonves CBS Chairman, President and CEO 2016: $69.6 million 2017: $69.3 million Change: No material change
CBS has been "America's Most-Watched Network" for more than a decade under Moonves, but is any amount of money worth that headache that this possible realignment with Viacom comes with? OK, still yes.
No one tell Dish Network’s Charlie Ergen what CBS chief Les Moonves made
There's no business like show business, and few bank on that fact yearly quite like Hollywood's top executives.
Scroll through our gallery for to see top TV, film and digital executives ranked by their 2017 executive compensation (updating as more companies release their top execs' packages).
