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German CEOs earn less than their peers in Europe and the US

Chief executive officers in Germany earn less than their counterparts in other European countries and the US. The major players from Germany listed on the European Dow Jones STOXX Europe 50 earned an average of EUR 6.1 million in 2015 - a slight -0.9 per cent year-on-year decline. The non-German companies on the same index, on the other hand, paid their CEOs an average of approximately EUR 6.9 million. The CEOs of companies listed on the US Dow Jones Industrial Index received an average of EUR 17.1 million in 2015 (information based on annual reports published to date for 2015). "The average remuneration of a CEO in the US is significantly higher than the level in Germany and Europe. Executive compensation is typically far higher in the US and there are cultural reasons for this," explains Ralph R. Lange, Manager Board & Executive Compensation at Willis Towers Watson.