As per a recent Equilar analysis offering an early glimpse at the top-earning CEOs in the U.S. for 2024, Jim Anderson, the head of Coherent, currently holds the number one spot. Anderson stands out as the only executive in the top ten to surpass the $100 million compensation mark, with total earnings nearing $101.5 million.
The report highlights that Anderson received an overall pay package worth $101,497,009, making him the highest-compensated CEO so far this year.
“Leading the pack for 2024 is Coherent’s Jim Anderson, with a total compensation of $101.5 million,” the Equilar report stated.
Trailing not far behind is Brian Niccol, the new CEO of Starbucks, who was granted a compensation of $95.8 million following his appointment in September 2024. However, these rankings could still shift, as final figures will only be confirmed once all 2024 proxy statements have been filed.
Coherent’s 2024 proxy filing reveals that Jim Anderson’s official base pay is set at $1.06 million annually. However, since he only stepped into the role in June 2024, his actual cash earnings for the year amounted to just $81,538. Additionally, he was granted a $500,000 signing bonus as part of his onboarding package.
Before joining Coherent, Anderson served as President and CEO of Lattice Semiconductor from September 2018 until his departure in 2024 WSJ. Under his leadership, Lattice achieved record operating profits and gross margins, significantly enhancing its product roadmap. Prior to Lattice, he held senior roles at Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), where he was Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Computing and Graphics Business Group Coherent Inc.
His career also includes leadership positions at Intel, Broadcom (formerly Avago Technologies), and LSI Corporation, spanning general management, engineering, sales, marketing, and corporate strategy.