Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders have spoken out against CEO David Zaslav and other top executives’ hefty compensation packages at the company’s 2025 annual meeting. The majority of investors voted against approving the 2024 pay packages in a non-binding “say-on-pay” vote, signaling their disapproval of the executive salaries.
According to the SEC filing, 724.5 million shares were in favor of the compensation packages, while a staggering 1.06 billion shares voted against them. This means that nearly 60% of the votes were against the pay packages, with 5.69 million shares abstaining and 307.38 million broker non-votes.
In 2024, Zaslav’s pay package increased by 4% to $51.9 million. His base salary was $3 million, with stock awards worth $23.1 million, bonus compensation of $23.9 million, and additional compensation of $1.9 million. This marked a steady increase from his 2023 pay package of $49.7 million and a significant jump from his 2022 compensation of $39.3 million. In 2021, Zaslav received an extraordinary $246.6 million, including $203 million in stock-option grants.
The shareholder backlash against executive compensation at Warner Bros. Discovery highlights growing concerns over excessive pay in the corporate world. As investors continue to scrutinize executive salaries, companies may face increasing pressure to justify their compensation practices and align them with shareholder interests.
