WASHINGTON, US — The Chief Executive Officer of Google and its parent company Alphabet, Sundar Pichai, could earn up to $692 million (approximately Sh. 89 billion) over the next three years under a newly disclosed compensation plan filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Friday.
The plan would make Pichai one of the highest-paid executives globally, while his base salary of $2 million per year, totaling $6 million over three years, remains unchanged.
The bulk of Pichai’s potential earnings would come from stock allocations in Alphabet, as well as its subsidiaries Waymo and Wing.
The SEC filing estimates he could receive roughly $130 million in Waymo shares and $45 million in Wing shares, contingent on performance and dividend payments.
In the event of dismissal, any unexercisable stock options would be forfeited, according to the filing. Alphabet noted that “current and previous incentives in Mr. Pichai’s compensation have benefited Alphabet and its stockholders significantly.”
Pichai has led Google since 2015 and Alphabet since 2019, guiding the tech giant through cloud expansion, artificial intelligence developments, and the growth of its autonomous and drone divisions.
The announcement underscores the growing trend of performance-based equity compensation for top executives in tech, tying large rewards to company and subsidiary growth while keeping cash salaries comparatively modest.
