Executive pay soared during the pandemic, widening the gulf between CEOs and employees. These were the 5 execs who received the largest pay packages in 2020.

Executive pay soared during the pandemic, widening the gulf between CEOs and employees. These were the 5 execs who received the largest pay packages in 2020.

For US executives, 2020 was a banner year. partnered with executive compensation consulting firm Equilar to examine CEO pay during the pandemic, and how it compared to the average worker at the company. The data showed that not only is the gulf between employee and executive pay widening, but that executive compensation skyrocketed in 2020. The Times found that eight of the top earners received compensation packages worth over $100 million last year, a contrast from years past: In 2018, five execs earned over $100 million, and in 2019, only one did. On top of that, six out of the 10 largest executive pay packages were handed out in 2020, according to The Times. These were the five highest-paid execs in 2020: With a compensation package worth $1.1 billion, Karp was the highest-paid CEO of a publicly traded company last year, according to The Times. Karp's company, Palantir, last September via a direct listing on the New York Stock Exchange. The secretive data-mining firm works primarily with government and law enforcement agencies worldwide. DoorDash's Tony Xu became the second-highest paid executive in 2020 with compensation valued at $414 million. 2020 was a breakout year for DoorDash as the pandemic forced