Top 10 Highest Paid CEOs with an MBA
 Although it’s not necessarily a common thing that a person with an MBA becomes a high-powered, big-earning CEO, there is ample proof that it does happen.
A master’s of business administration degree is a great way to learn about business as a whole, any specific approach or discipline of business, and to bolster your overall profile when looking for a job. In many cases, that job can turn into a great-paying career; and in some cases, those careers can lead to a CEO position with a huge company and result in you taking home millions of dollars.
Skeptical about just how an MBA correlates with a CEO position? Well, check out 10 of the highest-paid MBA-holding CEOs on the planet. Their take-home pay and positions may just convince you otherwise.
10 CEOS with an MBA
1: Richard C. Adkerson – President and CEO, Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold
Adkerson’s MBA comes from a rather mediocre school, Mississippi State University. He graduated in 1970 and began a career in public accounting, eventually becoming the chief financial officer at Freeport-McMoRan in 2003. He’s been CEO since 2003 and the company’s president since 2008.
Adkerson earned over $39.5 million in take-home pay last year and earns over $35 million in total compensation.
2: John F. Lundgren – President and CEO, Stanley Black & Decker
After graduating from Dartmouth College, Lungren went to Stanford and earned his MBA. In 2004, he was named CEO of Black & Decker, and the company’s president in 2010.
John’s total compensation as CEO of Black & Decker is over $32.5 million, and his take-home pay last year was a whopping $7.4 million.
3: John H. Hammergren – Chairman, president, and CEO, McKesson
Hammergren holds an MBA from Xavier University and a BA in business administration from the University of Minnesota. He joined McKesson in 1996, was the health-care company’s director in 1999, named its CEO in 2001, and quickly became its chairman in 2002.
Because of John’s propensity for profiting with McKesson, his total compensation is roughly $32 million annually. But what’s amazing is his take-home pay. Last year alone, Hammergren took home an astounding $131 million.
4: Paul C. Saville – President and CEO, NVR
Paul earned his MBA from the University of Pittsburgh and quickly began to rise when working for the homebuilder and mortgage company, NVR. He became the company’s CEO in 2005, and even through the financial crisis a few years later Saville’s leadership earned big profits for NVR.
Saville’s total compensation is just over $30 million annually, and his take-home pay last year was an impressive $23 million.
5: Donald J. Stebbins – Chairman, president, and CEO, Visteon
Stebbins earned his MBA from the University of Michigan and began working with the auto-part manufacturer Visteon as its chief operating officer in 2005. He was promoted to CEO in 2008, and then as the company’s chairman later that year. Donald came up through the ranks with Bankers Trust, Citibank, and Lear, and he has turned a profit wherever he’s been.
Donald’s total compensation package is north of $26 million, and his take-home pay last year was over $5.5 million.
6: Jeffrey L. Bewkes – Chairman and CEO, Time Warner
Jeffery is an example of a premium education. Not only does he hold an MBA from Stanford University, but he also has a BA from Yale. From 2002 to 2005, he was Time Warner’s chairman, then quickly moved up to the company’s CEO. Previously, Jeffrey was CEO of HBO, so he has a long resume.
Bewkes’ total compensation is around $26 million, with a take-home number of over $19 million last year.
7: David Simon – Chairman and CEO, Simon Property Group
Armed with an MBA from Columbia University, David joined Melvin Simon & Associates in 1990, became a director of the Simon Property Group in 1993, and has been the company’s CEO since 1995.
Simon’s compensation has been vast for over a decade, topping over $24 million now. His take-home pay last year alone was $6.5 million.
8: Laurence Fink – Chairman and CEO, BlackRock
Fink holds an MBA from UCLA and founded BlackRock in 1988. Over time, Fink has chaired BlackRock as the company became one of the biggest asset management firms in the world.
Fink’s compensation is around $23 million, and with bonuses included and other factors, his take-home pay was over $39 million last year.
9: David N. Farr – Chairman, president, and CEO, Emerson Electric
Holding an MBA from Vanderbilt University, Farr has been a member of the Emerson Electric team since 1981. After holding many titles within the company, including being a vice-president in the company’s Hong Kong division, Farr was named CEO in 2000 and the company’s chairman in 2004.
David’s take-home pay was just south of $30 million last year, and his average compensation is around $22 million.
10: Michael S. Jeffries – Chairman and CEO, Abercrombie & Fitch
Jeffries holds an MBA from Columbia University and is single-handedly responsible for the success of Abercrombie & Fitch. After Michael’s Alcott & Andrews retail chain went bankrupt in the 1980s, he joined Abercrombie & Fitch and changed the style from a fly-fishing company into a teen clothing juggernaut. He’s been the company’s CEO since 1992.
Jeffries’ take-home pay last year toppled $19 million, and his total compensation package is well over $22 million.
These ten examples could be called the exception and not the rule, and that would especially be true when speaking about these rather large numbers (and these have actually declined from last year).
But the fact remains that holding an MBA and knowing business is how all these CEOs have climbed the corporate ladder.
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