The Idiot Index

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Sector
Executive ExtractionApplied to enterprise and developer-platform software companies. COGS captures hosting, support, and customer-success costs; the Markup Ratio is meaningful but the Operational Markup is the load-bearing indicator because most platform investment flows through OpEx (R&D, S&M).
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Executive Extraction in Software Platform · FY 2023

22 of 40 companies · highest first
  1. 1
    ROPRoper Technologies
    CEO earns 440× the median worker
    sector median 135.4Top 2%
    440.2
    × CEO / median worker
  2. 2
    MSFTMicrosoft
    CEO earns 408× the median worker
    sector median 135.4Top 7%
    408.3
    × CEO / median worker
  3. 3
    IBMIBM
    CEO earns 312× the median worker
    sector median 135.4Top 11%
    311.6
    × CEO / median worker
  4. 4
    PANWPalo Alto Networks
    CEO earns 269× the median worker
    sector median 135.4Top 16%
    268.8
    × CEO / median worker
  5. 5
    ADBEAdobe
    CEO earns 229× the median worker
    sector median 135.4Top 20%
    228.9
    × CEO / median worker
  6. 6
    UUnity
    CEO earns 224× the median worker
    sector median 135.4Top 25%
    224.2
    × CEO / median worker
  7. 7
    RNGRingCentral
    CEO earns 174× the median worker
    sector median 135.4Median range
    173.8
    × CEO / median worker
  8. 8
    PCTYPaylocity
    CEO earns 154× the median worker
    sector median 135.4Median range
    154.0
    × CEO / median worker
  9. 9
    CDNSCadence
    CEO earns 151× the median worker
    sector median 135.4Median range
    151.1
    × CEO / median worker
  10. 10
    HUBSHubSpot
    CEO earns 149× the median worker
    sector median 135.4Median range
    149.2
    × CEO / median worker

Not yet covered (18)

These companies are in the Software Platform cohort but don't have a Executive Extraction computed for FY 2023. Either the underlying inputs aren't tagged in their XBRL filings, the DEF 14A pay-ratio narrative didn't parse cleanly, or this fiscal year hasn't been ingested for them yet.

What this measures

Full methodology →

How many times a CEO out-earns the median employee.

Ratio
Executive Extraction
Sector
Software Platform
Methodology version
v1.0.0
Formula
CEOTotalCompensation / MedianEmployeeCompensation
Sector context

Applied to enterprise and developer-platform software companies. COGS captures hosting, support, and customer-success costs; the Markup Ratio is meaningful but the Operational Markup is the load-bearing indicator because most platform investment flows through OpEx (R&D, S&M).

Required disclosure under Dodd-Frank Section 953(b) since 2018. Filed in DEF 14A proxy statements. The dashboard aggregates the disclosure across the top 50 and ranks.

Source data: CEO total compensation and median employee compensation, both as filed in the company's most recent DEF 14A. When the ratio is XBRL-tagged we use the tagged value; otherwise the narrative disclosure is parsed (~99% accuracy).