CEOs of DAX companies received a total remuneration of 261.3 million euros in 2025, 12.9 percent more than the previous year. Calculations by the Handelsblatt Research Institute (HRI) indicate that seven DAX CEOs earned eight figures for the first time. The rise stems mainly from special payments and stock price alignment.
Düsseldorf. According to calculations by the Handelsblatt Research Institute (HRI), CEOs of DAX companies received a total remuneration of 261.3 million euros in 2025. This marks a 12.9 percent increase from the previous year. Seven DAX CEOs earned eight-figure salaries for the first time.
DAX CEO pay rose variably in prior years: around ten percent in 2024, two percent in 2023, while 2022 saw cuts. Remuneration for all DAX board members stagnated, up just 0.5 percent to 897.4 million euros.
The CEO pay increase was driven mainly by special payments such as severance and greater alignment with stock prices. DAX index stocks rose nearly 23 percent in 2025, the strongest gain since 2019.
By contrast, net profits of the 40 largest DAX companies reached 111 billion euros, similar to the previous two years. Critics decry the high top salaries and growing imbalance with staff pay, saying it is 'Americanizing'.
