[_dps]

Many people with the skills to be CEOs of important companies would consider $1M a rounding error. It makes no difference to their economic outlook.

Also, there are many ways to make $1M without the risk and responsibility of being a CEO (among other things, just making low-risk investments with a $20M portfolio).

So between the comparative ease of making $1M elsewhere, and the low impact of $1M (to someone with tens of millions in the bank), it's not surprising why such people cannot be had for that price.

[jordanpg]

Are you saying that, as a result of being so incredibly talented, by definition, executives are already rich and therefore have to be paid more to keep them around for their valuable services and wisdom?

[_dps]

I take no position on talent or wisdom, but yes the kinds of people capable of being F500 CEOs are mostly already in this category of richness.