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Have you ever wondered how America's highest earners got their dream jobs? You might imagine that these millionaire CEOs have always lived a life of luxury, but in fact they worked hard over long careers to earn their lucrative positions.
The men and women who made the list of 2016's top 10 highest paid CEOs come from a variety of backgrounds, from studying at law school to starting out in the mailroom. Here's a guide to how they got to where they are today, and some inspiration for how you could follow in their footsteps.
1. Tom Rutledge, Charter Communications
Total earnings: $98 million
Salary: $2 million
Bonus: $7.7 million
Stock: $10 million
Options: $78 million
Previous roles:
COO, Cablevision
President, Time Warner Cable
Unknown role, American Television and Communications
Education:
B.A. in Economics, California University of Pennsylvania, 1977
Job opportunities at Charter Communications
2. Leslie Moonves, CBS
Total earnings: $68.6 million
Salary: $3.5 million
Bonus: $32 million
Stock: $31 million
Previous roles:
Co-President and co-COO, Viacom
Director, ZeniMax Media
President, Warner Bros Television
President, Lorimar Television
Vice President of Development, Saul Ilson Productions
Development Executive, Catalina Productions
Vice President of Movies and Miniseries, 20th Century Fox Television
Education:
Bucknell University, 1971
3. David O'Connor, Madison Square Garden (former CEO)
Total earnings: $54 million
Salary: $1.5 million
Bonus: $4.7 million
Stock: $47 million
Previous roles:
Managing Partner, Creative Artists Agency
Agent, Creative Artists Agency
Mailroom, Creative Artists Agency
Job opportunities at Madison Square Garden
4. Fabrizio Freda, Estee Lauder
Total earnings: $47.7 million
Salary: $1.9 million
Bonus: $5.4 million
Stock: $36 million
Options: $3.4 million
Previous roles:
Independent Director, BlackRock
President of Global Snacks Division, Procter & Gamble
Various roles in Health and Beauty Division, Procter & Gamble
Marketing and Strategic Planning Director, Gucci
Education:
University of Naples Federico II, 1981
Job opportunities at Estee Lauder
5. Mark Parker, Nike
Total earnings: $47.6 million
Salary: $1.5 million
Bonus: $7.3 million
Stock: $33.5 million
Options: $4 million
Previous roles:
VP of Global Footwear, Nike
General Manager, Nike
Vice President, Nike
VP of Development, Nike
Footwear Designer, Nike
Education:
Pennsylvania State University, 1977
6. Mark Hurd, Oracle
Total earnings: $41.1 million
Salary: $1 million
Stock: $21 million
Options: $18 million
Previous roles:
Chairman, CEO and President, Hewlett Packard
President and CEO, NCR Corp
Director of Marketing, NCR Corp
Education:
BBA in Business Administration, Baylor University, 1979
7. Bob Iger, Walt Disney
Total earnings: $41 million
Salary: $2.5 million
Bonus: $20 million
Stock: $8.8 million
Options: $8.4 million
Previous roles:
President, ABC Television
President and COO, Capital Cities/ABC
Weatherman, unknown TV station
Education:
BSc in Television and Radio, Ithaca College, 1973
Job opportunities at Walt Disney
8. Safra Catz, Oracle
Total earnings: $40.9 million
Salary: $1 million
Stock: $21.8 million
Options: $18.1 million
Previous roles:
Chief Financial Offer, Oracle
Co-President, PeopleSoft
Managing Director, Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette
Education:
University of Pennsylvania Law School, 1986
Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, 1983
9. David Zaslav, Discovery Communications
Total earnings: $37.2 million
Salary: $3 million
Bonus: $7.5 million
Stock: $15.1 million
Options: $11.1 million
Previous roles:
President of Cable and Domestic TV and New Media Distribution, NBC Universal
Adjunct Professor, Fordham University
Attorney, LeBoeuf, Lamb, Leiby and MacRae
Education:
BS, State University of New York at Binghamton
JD, Boston University School of Law, 1985
Job opportunities at Discovery Communications
10. Bobby Kotick, Activision Blizzard
Total earnings: $33.1 million
Salary: $2.4 million
Bonus: $5.6 million
Stock: $25 million
Previous roles:
Co-owner, 4Kids Entertainment
Software entrepreneur, various companies
Education:
University of Michigan
Job opportunities at Activision Blizzard
As these success stories show, there isn't just one set route to becoming a business magnate. Some of the highest paid CEOs entered the working world straight from a prestigious university, while others started in creative roles such as shoe designing or acting. Some had an entrepreneurial start, forming their own businesses, while others worked their way to the top after years in the same company.
This proves that reaching the peak of business success is an opportunity open to everyone, no matter your background or skills. What is important is persistence, drive and determination. What connects all of these high earners is that they worked hard and made the most of every opportunity that came their way. Of course, not everyone who is ambitious and hard-working will end up on the rich list, but they will always be respected by their peers, and importantly, they will never wonder what might have happened if they had been fully committed to achieving success.
Photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash.
