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Home » Latest » Data & Strategy » Here are the Highest-Paid Biopharmaceutical CEOs in the United States

Data & Strategy

Here are the Highest-Paid Biopharmaceutical CEOs in the United States

Albert Bourla

CEO compensation packages with high remuneration are not uncommon in the Biopharmaceutical industry. However, a significant number of top executives received substantial pay hikes last year, indicating that it is currently a favorable time to be a CEO in Biopharmaceuticals.

It’s worth noting that high compensation packages for chief executives are not exclusive to the Biopharmaceuticals industry. In fact, CEO salaries in other sectors often far exceed those in biopharmaceuticals. As an example, Sundar Pichai of Alphabet (GOOG) held the top spot with a salary of $225 million last year, while the highest-paid CEO in pharma (Doug Ingram of Sarepta Therapeutics, Inc.) earned $124 million.

The CEOWORLD magazine Executive Council collected data on more than 320 CEO compensation packages covering pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and life science companies. Three brought in paydays over $50 million, and one CEO broke the $100 million mark.

Top-Paid Biopharmaceutical CEOs in the United States

RankCEOCompanyCEO Pay
1Doug IngramSarepta Therapeutics, Inc. (SRPT)$124,938,694
2Pablo LegorretaRoyalty Pharma$93,478,402
3David R. EpsteinSeagen Inc. (SGEN)$57,460,546
4Kimberly BlackwellZentalis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (ZNTL)$36,614,376
5Albert BourlaPfizer (PFE)$33,017,453
6Clay SiegallSeagen Inc. (SGEN)$32,758,022
7Anne Wojcicki23andMe$32,546,430
8Chris ViehbacherBiogen$30,488,593
9Ari BousbibIQVIA$30,135,029
10Marc CasperThermo Fisher Scientific$28,208,909
11Francis deSouzaIllumina$26,752,197
12Michel VounatsosBiogen$26,625,221
13Richard GonzalezAbbVie$26,287,185
14Daniel FagaAnaptysBio$24,440,350
15Daniel O’DayGilead Sciences$21,621,253
16Robert FordAbbott Laboratories$21,452,566
17Bob BradwayAmgen$21,399,733
18David RicksEli Lilly$21,398,135
19Samarth KulkarniCRISPR Therapeutics$20,734,359
20Samantha DuZai Lab$20,212,141
21Giovanni CaforioBristol Myers Squibb$20,053,032
22Stéphane BancelModerna$19,363,648
23Kevin LoboStryker Corporation$18,563,214

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Sophie Ireland, PhD
Sophie Ireland, PhD in Media Entrepreneurship & Strategy, is the Senior Economist and Finance Editor at CEOWORLD Magazine, where she brings over 15 years of editorial and consulting experience across finance, media strategy, and executive communications. Sophie began her career as a financial journalist, reporting on Wall Street during the global financial crisis, before transitioning into corporate branding for Fortune 500 firms.

Her dual background in journalism and PR gives her a rare edge—she not only understands what moves the markets, but also how companies manage messaging and reputation during pivotal business moments. At CEOWORLD, Sophie curates high-level editorial content that blends financial literacy with strategic storytelling. She focuses on leadership visibility, earnings communication, investor relations, and market forecasting.

Sophie holds a degree in Financial Journalism and a professional certification in Corporate Communications. She is a sought-after panelist on executive reputation and is active in mentoring women in finance and media. Through her work at CEOWORLD, she aims to equip leaders with the insights they need to communicate powerfully, lead decisively, and maintain resilience in rapidly evolving market landscapes.