There was a time when a million-dollar salary was enough to make a newspaper headline on its own, these days it barely raises an eyebrow.
The latest Australian Council of Superannuation Investors pay study has revealed the country’s highest-paid ASX200 executives, with Life360 boss Chris Hulls topping the list on $47.7 million in realised pay. (salary, bonuses and the value of shares or options that vested during the year).
Still, whichever way you cut it, nobody on this list is checking the price of eggs before heading to Woolies.
10. Mike Henry – BHP: $13.2 million
BHP boss Mike Henry lands at the top 10 with realised pay of $13.2 million.
A fairly decent result for tenth place, particularly when the company you run is one of the biggest miners on the planet.
9. Tom Palmer – former Newmont CEO: $13.7 million
Newmont chief Tom Palmer collected $13.7 million in realised pay during FY2025.
The gold mining executive just edges Henry, proving there is apparently still money in digging valuable things out of the ground.
8. Raleigh Finlayson – Genesis Minerals: $15.1 million
Genesis Minerals boss Raleigh Finlayson landed $15.1 million for the year.
It puts the Australian mining executive firmly among the country’s highest-paid corporate chiefs.
7. Greg Goodman – Goodman Group: $20.4 million
Goodman Group co-founder and CEO Greg Goodman received $20.4 million in realised pay.
The property heavyweight is a regular presence near the pointy end of executive pay rankings.
6. Jon Pilcher – Neuren Pharmaceuticals: $21.7 million
Neuren Pharmaceuticals boss Jon Pilcher collected $21.7 million.
Much of that figure came from gains linked to loan-funded shares granted in previous years, which is where the term “realised pay” starts doing some fairly heavy lifting.
5. Shemara Wikramanayake – Macquarie Group: $30.4 million
Macquarie Group CEO Shemara Wikramanayake received $30.4 million in realised pay.
She was also the only woman to appear in the study’s top 20 highest-paid executives.
4. Vikesh Ramsunder – Sigma Healthcare: $32.6 million
Sigma Healthcare chief Vikesh Ramsunder landed $32.6 million during the financial year.
His total was heavily boosted by equity incentives connected with Sigma’s merger with Chemist Warehouse.
3. Robert Thomson – News Corp: $33.6 million
News Corp chief executive Robert Thomson collected $33.6 million in realised pay.
That puts the Australian-born media boss comfortably inside the top three, ahead of most mining and banking executives on the list.
2. Mick Farrell – ResMed: $35.2 million
ResMed CEO Mick Farrell received $35.2 million, making him the second-highest-paid executive in the ranking.
The sleep technology boss came close to the top spot, but “close” here still means a gap of roughly $12.5 million.
1. Chris Hulls – Life360: $47.7 million
Life360 co-founder and CEO Chris Hulls takes the top spot with a fairly staggering $47.7 million in realised pay.
The huge total was largely driven by gains on previously awarded options, putting Hulls’ yearly haul at close to 500 times the average full-time wage.
