Apple's Cook 'top-paid US CEO in 2011

Apple chief executive Tim Cook topped the list of the best-paid CEOs in the
US in 2011 thanks to stock options that put him more than $US300 million
($A305.95 million) above his next rival, a Wall Street Journal survey
shows.
Cook, who took the helm of the iPhone and iPad maker in August last year, two
months before the death of founder Steve Jobs, clocked in total compensation of
$US378 million ($A385.50 million).

Cook earned a paltry 90 US cents for his annual salary and 90 US cents for
his annual incentives.

But he scooped up a cool $US376 million ($A383.46 million) in restricted
stock grants, based on Apple's stock price at the time.

Another Silicon Valley big gun, the head of Oracle, Larry Ellison, came in
second place with less than a fifth of Cook's pay, at $US76 million ($A77.51
million).

The study, conducted by Hay Group for the Journal covered the 300 largest US
public companies by revenue.

Television broadcaster CBS head Leslie Moonves was in number-three position
at $US69 million ($A70.37 million), followed by the chief executive of
struggling retailer JCPenney, Ronald Johnson, who pulled in $US53 million
($A54.05 million).

Motorola Mobility chief Sanjay Jha was ranked fifth, at $US47 million
($A47.93 million).

The remainder of the top 10, in descending order, were the CEOs of Citigroup,
Viacom, Motorola Solutions, Walt Disney, and Ford Motor, whose Alan Mulally
earned $US29 million ($A29.58 million).

Apple's Cook could see his compensation climb further into the stratosphere
this year. Apple shares have leapt 29 per cent in the year to date, and on
Monday were up 5.5 per cent in late New York trade.