According to Electronic Arts' latest filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, CEO Andrew Wilson's compensation package rose by 8 million dollars to reach 38 million dollars in the past fiscal year. This increase comes at a time when the company laid off staff from all four studios under the Battlefield brand, sparking criticism over the widening gap between executives and employees.
The compensation report reveals a 305 to 1 ratio between CEO and median employee pay
The filing shows that the median EA employee earns 126,612 dollars annually, while Wilson received bonuses and stock options totaling 38 million dollars. This 305 to 1 ratio is among the highest in the gaming industry. Other executives also received multi-million dollar packages: EA Entertainment President Laura Miele earned 13.7 million dollars, CFO Stuart Canfield 11.3 million, Chief Legal Officer Jake Schatz 8.4 million, and Chief People Officer Mala Singh 8.3 million.
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CEO exclusively uses private jets for both business and personal travel
The filing also disclosed that Wilson flies exclusively on private aircraft, citing personal safety and family security based on threat intelligence. No specific threats were mentioned, but the perk has drawn additional scrutiny given the company's workforce reductions.
Despite layoffs, EA highlights AI successes and Battlefield 6 performance
The financial report touts the company's progress in implementing its AI strategy and the strong performance of Battlefield 6. Miele stated that AI adoption has led to a "real rise in creativity" among developers. However, earlier this year EA laid off employees from Battlefield Studios, characterizing the cuts as a realignment. The sale of EA to Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund has cleared a major hurdle after European Commission approval, though the deal has not yet closed.
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For more on corporate strategies in the tech sector, see our article on Samsung Display supplying OLED panels for MacBook Pro. To understand cybersecurity dynamics in enterprises, check Linux Privilege Escalation techniques. Additional information about the CEO is available on Wikipedia.
Source: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/ea-ceo-got-a-huge-pay-increase-while-company-laid-off-devs
