Meta has been throwing huge offers at AI researchers, but it鈥檚 not landing the people it wants. According to Wired, more than a dozen staff from Thinking Machines Lab, the AI startup led by former OpenAI executive Mira Murati, were approached with offers from Meta.
One of them was reportedly promised over $1 billion spread over several years. None have accepted. Meta鈥檚 head of communications Andy Stone pushed back on the figures but confirmed that offers went out. Sources said Zuckerberg contacted people himself through WhatsApp before handing things over to Meta execs. This made me curious as to what the highest earners are receiving…
The highest paid person in recent history is Brad Jacobs, CEO of QXO Inc, who received total compensation of $189.4 million in 2024. This comes from AFL-CIO鈥檚 Paywatch report, which tracks executive pay in the US. Close behind him are Peter Gassner of Veeva Systems with $172.4 million, and Patrick Smith of Axon Enterprise with $164.5 million.
For context and to compare, the average worker in the US earned $49,500 last year, according to the same report. That puts Jacobs鈥� pay at nearly 3,830 times higher than the average American worker鈥檚 income.
Other names in the top 10 earners for 2024 include Sridhar Ramaswamy of Snowflake at $101.3 million, Brian Niccol of Starbucks at $95.8 million, and Lawrence Culp of General Electric at $89 million. Even Tim Cook of Apple, known for high compensation, had a lower total this year at $74.6 million.
Which Jobs Pay The Most In The UK?
Data from the Office for National Statistics shows that top salaries in the UK continue to be led by executive and leadership roles. In 2024, the best paid job was chief executive or senior official, with median annual earnings of 拢88,056. Marketing, sales, and advertising directors came next at 拢87,309, followed by IT directors at 拢86,033.
Medical and transport jobs also ranked quite high… Aircraft pilots and air traffic controllers earned 拢80,414, while specialist doctors took home 拢74,979. Head teachers and principals earned 拢71,064, showing that public sector leaders can also command high salaries.
Train and tram drivers had earnings of 拢63,958, more than some legal roles like barristers and judges, who earned 拢59,423. Senior police officers were also on the higher end at 拢63,986.
So, in a nutshell…
Top 10 Highest Paying Jobs in the UK (ONS 2024)
- Chief Executives and Senior Officials 鈥� 拢88,056
- Marketing, Sales, and Advertising Directors 鈥� 拢87,309
- Information Technology Directors 鈥� 拢86,033
- Aircraft Pilots and Air Traffic Controllers 鈥� 拢80,414
- Specialist Medical Practitioners 鈥� 拢74,979
- Head Teachers and Principals 鈥� 拢71,064
- Senior Police Officers 鈥� 拢63,986
- Train and Tram Drivers 鈥� 拢63,958
- Electrical Engineers 鈥� 拢58,734
- Barristers and Judges 鈥� 拢59,423
Tech, legal, and public sector leadership roles dominate the upper end of the scale, while transport jobs remain surprisingly strong earners.
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Where Are Salaries Growing The Fastest?
According to Hays鈥� 2025 Salary and Recruiting Trends guide, some roles saw pay increases well above the national average. While UK salaries overall rose by 2.4%, business support jobs jumped by 4.7%, engineering by 4.1%, legal by 4%, and accountancy by 3.6%.
Roles that saw the fastest growth in earnings indicate that there is a need for specialist skills. These include software, engineering, and legal roles. The biggest rise was for fabricator/welders, followed by risk surveyors and industrial engineers. In-house lawyers with over 7 years of experience also moved up the ranks.
Top 10 Fastest Growing Salaries in the UK (Hays 2025)
- Fabricator/Welder
- Risk Surveyor/Consultant
- Industrial Engineer
- Operational Technology Cyber Manager
- Site Supervisor
- In-house Lawyer (7鈥�10 years鈥� experience)
- Part-qualified Accountant
- In-house Lawyer (1 year鈥檚 experience)
- Software Architect (Microsoft Stack)
- Contracts Manager
Engineering, law, and cybersecurity continue to be in demand, with employers paying more to secure rare skills.
Which Countries Have The Highest And Lowest Minimum Wages?
Minimum wage rates can tell a lot about how countries treat workers. According to Velocity Global, Luxembourg leads the world, with a monthly minimum wage of $3,214 for skilled adults. The Netherlands follows, where skilled workers earn about $2,500 monthly. Australia and New Zealand also rank high, at $2,562 and $2,368 respectively.
In the UK, workers aged 21 and over earn 拢11.44 per hour, which amounts to about 拢1,981 or $2,499 per month. The rate will rise again in April 2025. For younger workers and apprentices, pay is lower, with some earning as little as 拢7.55 per hour.
Top 5 Countries for Minimum Monthly Wage (2025)
- Luxembourg 鈥� $3,214
- Australia 鈥� $2,562
- New Zealand 鈥� $2,368
- Ireland 鈥� $2,402
- United Kingdom 鈥� $2,499
At the bottom end, Nigeria tops the list. These wages are well below living costs in many cases…
Bottom 5 Countries for Minimum Monthly Wage (2025)
- Nigeria 鈥� $42
- India 鈥� $64
- Uzbekistan 鈥� $90
- Vietnam (public sector) 鈥� $93
- Armenia 鈥� $193
