CEO Pay and Firm Size: An Update after the Crisis

40 Pages Posted: 6 Jun 2013

See all articles by Xavier Gabaix

Xavier Gabaix

Harvard University - Department of Economics; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER); Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR); European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI)

Augustin Landier

HEC

Julien Sauvagnat

Bocconi University; Bocconi University - IGIER - Innocenzo Gasparini Institute for Economic Research

Multiple version iconThere are 2 versions of this paper

Date Written: June 2013

Abstract

In the "size of stakes" view quantitatively formalized in Gabaix and Landier (2008), CEO compensation is determined in a competitive talent market, and reflects the size of firms affected by talent. This paper offers empirical update on this view. The years 2004-2011, which include the recent crisis, were not part of the initial study and o er a laboratory to examine the theory as they include new positive and negative shocks to the size of large firms. Executive compensation at the top (ex ante) did closely track the evolution of average rm value during those years. During the crisis (2007-2009), average total firm value decreased by 17%, and CEO pay decreased by 28%. During 2009-2011, we observe a rebound of firm value by 19% and of CEO pay increased by 22%. These fairly proportional changes provide a validity check in favor of the "size of stakes" view.

Keywords: assignment models, economics of superstars, Executive pay, inequality, matching.

JEL Classification: G34, J24, J3

Suggested Citation

Gabaix, Xavier and Landier, Augustin and Sauvagnat, Julien, CEO Pay and Firm Size: An Update after the Crisis (June 2013). CEPR Discussion Paper No. DP9498, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2275151

Xavier Gabaix (Contact Author)

Harvard University - Department of Economics ( email )

Littauer Center
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United States

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

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Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR)

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European Corporate Governance Institute (ECGI)

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Belgium

Augustin Landier

HEC ( email )

France
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HOME PAGE: http://https://sites.google.com/site/augustinlandier/

Julien Sauvagnat

Bocconi University ( email )

Via Sarfatti, 25
Milan, MI 20136
Italy

Bocconi University - IGIER - Innocenzo Gasparini Institute for Economic Research ( email )

Via Roentgen 1
Milan, 20136
Italy

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