Boss who complained about being the ‘lowest-paid CEO’ hauls in a mere £11.4m

THE boss of drugs giant AstraZeneca who moaned about his pay raked in £11.4million last year.

Pascal Soriot said in September: “The truth is I’m the lowest-paid CEO in the whole industry.

“It is annoying to some extent. But at the end of the day it is what it is.”

Yet AstraZeneca’s annual report yesterday showed Soriot got paid 160 times more than the firm’s average British worker last year and 230 times the lowest 25 per cent by pay. The 59-yearold’s bumper haul included a £1.8million annual bonus and £7.7million from a longterm reward scheme.

That’s on top of a £1.2million basic salary, a £375,000 pension payment and £121,000 in other perks, including advice on his tax affairs. Soriot has coined in nearly £55million since taking over as chief executive of the pharmaceuticals heavyweight in 2012.

His latest pay bonanza came Chief Pascal Soriot despite profits at AstraZeneca falling eight per cent to £2.6billion last year. And it comes in spite of significant shareholder revolts over boardroom pay for two years running.

More than a third of investors voted against the firm’s pay plans for top bosses at last year’s annual general meeting.

Astra, worth £79billion, said 2018 had been a “defining year”.

The group also defended its decision to hike Soriot’s salary, saying it aims to “find the right balance to incentivise, reward and retain highly talented individuals appropriately”.