By Our Correspondent
Sundar Pichai, the chief executive of Google and its parent company Alphabet Inc., could receive a compensation package worth up to $692 million over the next three years under a newly disclosed executive pay structure.
The details of the plan were revealed in a regulatory filing submitted to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
If fully realised, the package would place Pichai among the highest-paid technology executives in the world, reflecting Alphabet’s effort to reward leadership and align executive incentives with the company’s long-term performance.
According to the filing, Pichai’s base salary will remain unchanged at $2 million annually, bringing his guaranteed cash earnings to $6 million across the three-year period.
The bulk of the potential compensation, however, will come from stock-based incentives tied to Alphabet’s financial performance and share value.
The compensation structure also includes equity awards linked to two of Alphabet’s innovative subsidiaries — Waymo, the company’s autonomous vehicle division, and Wing, its drone delivery business.
Under the proposed arrangement, Pichai could receive approximately $130 million in stock from Waymo and about $45 million tied to Wing, depending on the subsidiaries’ growth and valuation during the performance period.
Alphabet noted in the filing that the final value of the compensation will depend on several performance factors, including the market performance of Alphabet shares and the company’s dividend payouts.
The company also clarified that strict conditions apply to the stock awards. Should Pichai leave the role or be dismissed before the vesting period ends, any unvested stock options would be forfeited.
Alphabet said the incentive structure is designed to encourage continued leadership stability and innovation across its technology portfolio, which spans search, artificial intelligence, autonomous mobility, and emerging delivery technologies.
“Current and previous incentives in Mr Pichai’s compensation have benefited Alphabet and its stockholders significantly,” the company stated in the regulatory disclosure.
Pichai has led Google since 2015 and became chief executive of Alphabet in 2019, overseeing the company’s expansion into advanced technologies including AI systems, cloud computing, and next-generation mobility solutions.
