for this year alone is $49 million, comprising a $3 million base salary, a $6 million cash bonus, and a $40 million equity award that will vest over time and based on his performance. Cook's target compensation last year was even higher, at $84 million.
The Apple chief is paid so well because he's overseen remarkable success. Apple stock has soared by about 14-fold since he took the CEO reins from cofounder Steve Jobs in 2011. The iPhone maker's market capitalization has grown by $2 trillion as a result, making it the world's most-valuable public company.
Cook's leadership has also attracted high-profile investors. For example, Warren Buffett plowed more than $30 billion into Apple between 2016 and 2018, and the tech stock is easily the most-valuable holding in Berkshire Hathaway's portfolio today. He's alsoThe tech executive's vast wealth, spectacular success, and ringing endorsements underline the absurdity that he was turned down for an Apple Card, even if it was during a test run and due to fraud concerns.