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Executive Perks Hit $600 Million at Top Companies

Wall Street Journal US Business •
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From private ranch vacations to concierge medicine, these are the ultraluxury perks top executives scored last year. An estimated $20,000 in free booze. More than $100,000 in free sports-event tickets. Extensive personal use of a company-owned hunting ranch. Perks—the often-lavish extras layered on top of executive pay—are booming.

Among the 500 largest public companies, spending on four of the biggest-ticket perks has surged since 2021, according to research firm Equilar, led by a more than doubling in the median cost of executive security. The Wall Street Journal analyzed perks disclosed in the most recent annual filings from 1,500 of the largest U.S. public companies. In all, those companies shelled out close to $600 million on around 15,000 perks to their executives and directors.

Some of the perks were surprisingly small, such as $492 to cover “backup home generator maintenance” for Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s CEO, Antonio Neri, whose total compensation was $23.5 million. HP said the payment helps ensure its CEO is available to run the company during a power outage at his residence, and it disclosed the perk in accordance with regulatory requirements.