Nvidia's CEO, Jensen Huang, receives his first pay raise in a decade and now earns $49.8 million

Jensen Huang's pay jumped to $49.8M with Nvidia stock surge.

: Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang receives a notable pay increase for the first time in ten years, raising his total compensation to $49.8 million. His base salary experiences a 50% increase to $1.5 million, with additional hikes in variable cash to $1 million and $38.8 million in stock awards. The surge in Nvidia's stock price, driven by its key role in the generative AI field, significantly boosts Huang's wealth. As of the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Huang ranks as the 17th wealthiest individual with a fortune valued at $97.9 billion.

Jensen Huang, the CEO of Nvidia, has seen a substantial increase in his compensation after a decade without a salary raise. This change comes in the context of Nvidia's explosive stock price growth, fueled by its strategic positioning in the hardware aspects of the generative AI revolution. Huang's new total compensation stands at $49.8 million for fiscal 2025, a significant figure in the executive pay landscape. His base salary rose from $1 million to $1.5 million, reflecting a 50% increase. In addition, his variable cash's figure followed suit with a 50% increase, rising to $1 million, while the stock awards component of his compensation package surged to $38.8 million.

These changes align Huang's pay more closely with CEO compensation at peer companies, according to a proxy filing with the SEC. Generative AI has been a major growth driver for Nvidia, with the company's stock price skyrocketing 22,222% from $0.50 at the start of 2015 to its current level of $111.61. Jensen Huang benefits substantially from this increase due to his 3.5% stake in Nvidia, which is currently worth approximately $94 billion.

Technological innovations in AI and data center operations have been critical to Nvidia's accelerated market performance. Nvidia's leadership in providing foundational hardware for AI applications has placed it at the forefront of the tech industry's expansion. The stock awards and overall compensation figure for Huang appear to be notably well-aligned with these strategic advancements, ensuring his leadership continues to benefit from Nvidia's upward market trajectory.

In a broader context, Huang's wealth is reported to be $97.9 billion, making him the 17th richest person globally, despite a recent decrease of $16.4 billion in 2025 according to Bloomberg's Billionaires Index. His decrease is less severe than that of other tech moguls such as Elon Musk, whose net worth decreased by $101 billion this year but still leads the list with $332 billion.

The substantial jump in Huang's salary and total compensation package puts him at the heart of discussions around executive pay and stock-based wealth in the technology sector. His increased salary and stock options showcase NVIDIA's commitment to rewarding its executives parallel to the company's exceptional market performance.

Sources: TechSpot, Bloomberg

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