Australia's highest-paid chief executives revealed

American entrepreneur Chris Hulls, co-founder and executive chairman of Life360, has been named Australia's highest-paid executive, earning close to $48 million in the 2025 financial year. This figure is nearly 500 times the average full-time wage in Australia. Hulls, who resides in the United States, has led the GPS location-sharing app company for nearly two decades.

Life360 is listed on the Australian Stock Exchange, and this year's report marks a significant trend: five out of the top 10 highest earners are CEOs of U.S.-domiciled companies. This is the first time 'outsiders' have claimed half of the top spots in the study's history, though U.S.-based CEOs have consistently featured.

The Australian Council of Superannuation Investors (ACSI) report, which examines CEOs across the ASX100 and ASX101-200, found the average realized pay for an ASX100 CEO in FY2025 was $6,005,219. This represents an increase from the previous year and is approximately 55 times the average wage earner's income. The report defines 'realized pay' as fixed pay and bonuses, plus vested equity or one-off cash incentives.

Among the highest-paid Australian-based CEO in the ASX200 was Vikesh Ramsunder of Sigma Healthcare, whose appearance on the list follows the company's merger with Chemist Warehouse. Other notable U.S.-based CEOs on the list include ResMed's Mick Farrell and News Corporation's Robert Thomson. New CEOs in the top 10, such as Jon Pilcher of Neuren Pharmaceuticals and Raleigh Finlayson of Genesis Minerals, were recognized for significant increases in company value.