Four CEOs of local corporations made The New York Times' list of the highest paid executives in 2014, which was published over the weekend.
David Zaslav, CEO of Silver Spring-based Discovery Communications, was the highest paid executive in the country last year, bringing in a total of $156.1 million in salary, stocks and other compensation, according to the newspaper.
Zaslav signed a new contract last year that was frontloaded with stock and options awards. According to filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Zaslav was paid $145 million in stock and options, $3 million in salary, $6 million in incentive awards and $1.9 million for aircraft use and security. The stock and options are tied to the company’s performance, so he may not receive the full amount if the company’s stock falls below certain targets.
The other chief executives of locally based companies who made the list include Martine Rothblatt, CEO of the Silver Spring biotechnology company United Therapeutics; Marilyn Hewson, CEO of Bethesda-based Lockheed Martin; and Arne Sorenson, CEO of Marriott International in Bethesda.
Rothblatt made $31.6 million in 2014, putting her at No. 24 on the list, which included 200 corporate chiefs. In 2013, Rothblatt, a transgender woman, was the highest paid female executive in the country, but last year she fell behind Yahoo! chief Marissa Mayer, who made $42.1 million.
Hewson, who heads aerospace and defense manufacturer Lockheed Martin, made $17.9 million in 2014, putting her at No. 97.
Sorenson, who made news earlier this year when he said the hotel giant is planning to move out of its Bethesda headquarters on Fernwood Road, made $14.8 million in 2014, putting him at No. 142 on the list.
The list only included CEOS of companies with a market capitalization of at least $1 billion. The companies reported their executives’ compensation packages in proxy statements filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The list did not include founders and chiefs of private equity firms, who can earn significantly more than corporate CEOs. The New York Times reports that the top 25 hedge fund managers made a combined $11.62 billion in 2014, with the top earner—Kenneth Griffin of Citadel—making $1.3 billion last year.
