Executive Excess 2025: CEO pay and stock buybacks have soared at the 100 largest low-wage corporations – Sarah Anderson/IPS

“CEO pay at Low-Wage 100 firms has soared since 2019 while median worker pay has lagged behind U.S. inflation...

“From 2019 through 2024, the Low-Wage 100 spent $644 billion on stock buybacks...(A)ll but three Low-Wage 100 firms spent corporate dollars on stock buybacks. By repurchasing their own shares, companies artificially inflate executive stock-based pay and siphon resources out of worker wages and productive long-term investments…”

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