Walmart CEO set to retire soon makes Rs 1.4 lakh every 30 minutes amid pay gap debate

Walmart CEO Doug McMillon with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his trip to India in 2025.

The outgoing chief executive of Walmart, the world’s largest retailer by revenue, is exiting the role on an extraordinary pay high, renewing debate around executive compensation and widening income inequality.

Doug McMillon, who has led the US-based retail giant since 2011, earned around $27.5 million (roughly Rs 248 crore) in total compensation in his final year as CEO. That translates to approximately Rs 1.4 lakh every 30 minutes, based on his annual earnings spread across the year.

According to company disclosures, McMillon’s pay package in his last year at the helm included a base salary of $1.5 million, stock awards worth $20.4 million, and $4.4 million in non-equity incentive compensation. Walmart reported revenues of about $905 billion during his tenure, cementing its position as the world’s biggest grocery retailer.

From warehouse worker to CEO

McMillon’s journey is often cited by Walmart as a success story. He joined the company in the summer of 1984 as an hourly warehouse worker, unloading trailers for $6.50 an hour. Today, his earnings reflect a dramatic shift: as CEO, McMillon effectively earned about $3,127 an hour, or roughly Rs 2.6 lakh, around the clock.

In just one minute, his pay works out to about $52. Over a typical 30-minute commute for US workers, McMillon would earn roughly $1,563, or close to Rs 1.4 lakh.

The scale of the gap becomes starker when compared with average wages. According to US labour data, the average American worker earns about $62,088 a year. At McMillon’s pay rate, it takes him less than 20 hours to earn that amount.

Housing affordability comparisons also underline the disparity. While American households often take decades to save for a home, McMillon could earn the US median home price of around $439,000 in just under six working days.

Part of a broader trend

McMillon is not an outlier. Sky-high executive pay has increasingly drawn scrutiny, particularly as workers grapple with rising living costs. In 2024, Apple CEO Tim Cook earned $74.6 million, while Tesla chief Elon Musk secured an eye-popping pay package that triggered sharp criticism over the growing wealth divide.