Electronic Arts CEO Andrew Wilson has had his annual compensation reduced to $19.9 million, down from $39.2 million, the company revealed via an SEC filing Thursday (H/T Axios).
EA indicated such a cut might be on the way last summer, when the company said "stockholder feedback" from a non-binding say-on-pay vote indicated those stockholders considered Wilson's pay excessive.
As is the case with many top executives, the majority of Wilson's compensation comes in the form of stock grants. After that come cash bonuses and salary. In 2021, Wilson received a $30 million stock grant on top of his salary in excess of $1 million per year. He received a 3.2% boost to that salary this year, taking it to $1.3 million, which EA says is "in line with Company-wide base salary merit increases for strong performers."
What made Wilson's performance raise-worthy in EA's eyes? The company released its planned games during the fiscal year, kept its gaming services online over 99% of the time, increased workplace diversity and exceeded goals tied to employee satisfaction and live-service game growth. On the other hand, the company fell "slightly below target" on mobile gaming transactions and esports viewership.
Meanwhile, EA's median employee income is $115,569. That's down from last year's median income of $123,935, but still up from $97,986 from the year before that. Even after the reduction, Wilson's pay is more than 100 times greater than that median salary.
