Morris Chang (張忠謀), chairman of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), continued top the chart of Taiwan's highest-paid chairman, pocketing a record NT$320 million (US$10.28 million) last year, according to a Chinese-language report yesterday, citing company statistics.
The amount includes NT$37.16 million in cash and 5,388 TSMC shares, currently valued at NT$53.9 per share, the report said. The enviable income is NT$90 million more than Chang earned in 2003, the report said.
The second spot was taken by Lee Kun-yao (李焜耀), chairman of the nation's largest mobile-phone maker BenQ Corp (明基電通), who also chairs AU Optronics Corp (友達光電), the world's No. 3 supplier of liquid-crystal-display (LCD) panels. Adding up his salaries, shares and stock options Lee received from the two companies, he earned is estimated to reach NT$150 million last year, the report said.
The third position went to Leslie Koo (辜成允), chairman of Taiwan Cement Corp (台泥), who raked in NT$50 million in earnings last year.
The income of Taiwan's top three chairmen, however, paled that of the US' highest-paid chief executives.
According to the annual Forbes ranking of the 250 highest-paid CEOs in the US, Terry Semel of Yahoo Inc received the highest sum of all last year, earning US$230.6 million with most of the amount coming from cashing in his stock options.
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