Google CEO Sundar Pichai could earn up to $692 million under new stock-heavy pay plan

SEC filing shows Google CEO’s compensation includes performance stock units, restricted stock, and incentives linked to Waymo and Wing.

• Sundar Pichai's potential compensation could reach $692 million
• Package includes stock incentives tied to Alphabet's performance
• Pichai's base salary remains $2 million annually

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Technology company Alphabet has increased Google CEO Sundar Pichai’s total potential compensation to $692 million over the next three years, according to a regulatory filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

The compensation package includes multiple stock-based incentives tied to shareholder returns and the performance of Alphabet businesses.

A significant portion of the package consists of performance stock units (PSUs) with a target value of $126 million, divided into two equal tranches, according to the SEC filing.

The PSUs are tied to Alphabet’s total shareholder return compared with companies in the S&P 100.

Under the plan, the payout could rise to twice the target amount, or $252 million, if Alphabet significantly outperforms peer companies. If the company underperforms, the PSU payout could fall to zero.

In addition to PSUs, Pichai will receive $84 million in restricted stock over the next three years.

The restricted stock will vest roughly on a monthly basis, provided he continues to serve as chief executive of the company.

Pichai will also continue to receive an annual base salary of $2 million.

Alphabet has also included additional stock incentives tied to the growth of two of its technology businesses.

The package includes Waymo shares with a target value of $130 million and Wing Aviation stock worth $45 million.

The payouts are linked to the fair value of the businesses over the next three years.

According to the filing, the incentives can pay up to 200 percent of the target value if performance goals for the businesses are met or exceeded.

If all performance targets are achieved at maximum levels, Pichai’s compensation over the three-year period could reach $692 million.

The baseline value of the package, including stock incentives and salary, is $391 million, according to the filing.

Pichai became chief executive of Google in August 2015.

Since then, the company’s market capitalisation has increased from about $535 billion to roughly $3.6 trillion, briefly crossing $4 trillion in January, according to data cited in reports.

The company’s share price performance over the period has contributed to the value of stock-based executive compensation.

According to regulatory filings, Pichai and his wife Anjali jointly hold about 1.67 million Alphabet shares, valued at approximately $498 million based on the company’s closing share price of $298 on Friday.

Data cited from Forbes estimates Pichai’s personal net worth at $1.5 billion.

Executive compensation packages tied to long-term performance metrics are common among large technology companies.

In November 2025, shareholders of Tesla approved a new performance-based compensation plan for CEO Elon Musk that could be worth up to $1 trillion over the next decade, depending on the company’s performance milestones.