The Hollywood Reporter's annual list of the highest-paid media chiefs has revealed that while Hollywood is a larger-than-life version of corporate America, the median CEO pay is $29.4 million in 2025, according to data firm Equilar. This is not the norm for top entertainment executives, with many making around $50 million or more. The employee-to-CEO pay ratio is also higher in entertainment, with 341 employee salaries equating one CEO's take-home pay. David Zaslav, who took Warner Bros. Discovery from $9 a share to sell to Paramount for $31 a share, led the way with a $165 million pay package last year. However, his 2021 package of $246.6 million was largely driven by a $202 million stock option grant related to a contract extension and the WarnerMedia merger. Meanwhile, Comcast CEO Michael Cavanagh's $70 million-topping package included stock awards that vest over five years.