Special Report: Breakaway Wealth
An ongoing series about how the rich are pulling away from the rest of America
Where all the CEOs are above average
Kevin Sharer, Chief Executive Officer, Amgen, speaks during the Cleveland Clinic's 2010 Medical Innovation Summit titled "Obesity, Diabetes, & The Metabolic Crisis" in Cleveland, Ohio, U.S., on Monday, Nov. 1, 2010. The number of people in the U.S. who are obese has more than doubled in the past 30 years to?72 million, according to the CDC. Photographer: David Maxwell/Bloomberg
Kevin W. Sharer’s company isn’t making money for shareholders, but he still gets hefty raises. At Amgen and at the vast majority of large U.S. companies, boards aim to pay their executives at levels equal to or above the median for executives at similar companies.
Rich pull away from rest of America
Research indicates that the rise in pay for executives is a critical feature in the widening income gap.
Capital gains tax policy feeds gap between rich and poor
Most Americans depend on wages and salaries for their income, which is subject to a graduated tax. The capital gains tax turns that idea on its head.
Database
CEO compensation in D.C. area
How did the region's chief executives stack up when it came to their pay in 2010?
Photo Galleries
2011 Forbes list of the 20 richest Americans
Net worth ranges from $12.4 billion to $54 billion in 2010.
The Washington region’s most highly paid executives
These executives were the area’s highest paid in fiscal 2010.
CEO pay vs. worker pay
There’s one financial figure some big U.S. companies would rather keep secret.
Growing wealth widens distance between lawmakers, constituents
Government contracting has driven an explosion of wealth in the D.C. area, exacerbating the wage gap.
Interactive Graphic
(Not) spreading the wealth
Explore how the income gap in the U.S. has grown with dramatic increases in CEO pay.
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