Silicon Valley’s highest-paid executives have been revealed, and the top earner is a relatively unknown young entrepreneur.
The San Francisco Chronicle identified the Bay Area’s highest-compensated executives as of late September 2026 using information from several databases.
The highest-paid honcho is Dylan Field, the 34-year-old co-founder and CEO of software company Figma, who made a whopping $864 million.
Field founded Figma in 2012 and dropped out of Brown University after receiving a Thiel Fellowship, which funds young entrepreneurs.
The second highest-paid executive is co-founder, CEO, and chairman of cybersecurity company Netskope, Sanjay Beri, who made $235 million.
Hock Eng Tan, 74, who is the president, CEO and director at Broadcom Inc., one of the world’s largest semiconductor and infrastructure software companies, earned $205 million.
He has also served on the President’s National Security and Telecommunications Advisory Committee since 2020, and is on the Meta Board of Directors.
Ranking fourth is Figma’s chief technology officer Kris Rasmussen, 42, who earned $175 million.
The highest-paid executive is Dylan Field, the 34-year-old co-founder and CEO of software company Figma, who made a whopping $864 million
A little-known young entrepreneur has emerged as Silicon Valley’s highest-paid executive
Nikesh Arora, 58, CEO of cybersecurity company Palo Alto Networks Inc., is the fifth-highest-earning executive, making $100 million.
In sixth place is cofounder, CEO and chairperson of Chime Financial Inc., Christopher R Britt, 53, who earned $99 million.
Wells Fargo & Co. CEO and chairman 61-year-old Charles W Scharf, 61, earned $95 million.
Lip-Bu Tan, 66, CEO and director at Intel Corp earned $93 million, according to the data.
Intel had its best day on the US stock market since 1987 this year following a blowout profit report in April.
Tan said the next wave of artificial-intelligence technology is increasing the need for Intel’s chips and products, and the company’s profit forecast for the spring topped analysts’ estimates.
The ninth-highest-earning executive is Apple Inc. executive chairman Tim Cook, 65, who earned $75 million.
He served as Apple’s CEO from 2011 until September 1, when he handed over the reins to John Ternus.
Nikesh Arora, 58, CEO of cybersecurity company Palo Alto Networks Inc., is the fifth-highest-earning executive, making $100 million
Wells Fargo & Co. CEO and chairman 61-year-old Charles W. Scharf, 61, earned $95 million
Lip-Bu Tan, 67, CEO and director at Intel Corp earned $93 million, according to the data
The ninth-highest-earning executive is Apple Inc. executive chairman Tim Cook, 65, who earned $75 million
When Cook became CEO in August 2011, Apple was worth around $350 billion – today, it’s valued at close to $5 trillion.
The company sold around 72 million iPhones in the year Cook took over. Counterpoint Research estimates it will sell around 255 million iPhones this year.
Cook also oversaw the creation of huge new businesses around the Apple Watch, AirPods and digital services, while transforming Apple’s manufacturing operation and returning more than $1 trillion to shareholders through dividends and buybacks.
The tenth-highest-earning Silicon Valley executive is Hims & Hers Health chief technology officer Mohamed Elshenawy, who earned $61 million.
