In 2024, Microsoft went through multiple waves of layoffs. The gaming division was particularly affected, with over 2,500 employees laid off in recent months. However, this restructuring didn’t prevent the company from paying its CEO $79.1 million.

This sum was earned by Satya Nadella over the year, with the largest portion coming from performance-based bonuses. His base salary and cash bonus remained the same at $2.5 million and $5.2 million, respectively.

Notably, in 2023, Nadella’s total compensation was “only” $48.5 million. Despite cost-cutting measures, Microsoft’s CEO received a significantly larger payout this year amid the closure of several well-known studios and the layoffs of many Microsoft Gaming developers and employees.

Despite the reduction in expenses, the large compensation has a reason: in 2024, Microsoft achieved a market capitalization of $3 trillion for the first time.

The recent financial report from Microsoft also highlighted a notable detail about its game franchises: 20 of them have generated over a billion dollars in revenue during their lifetimes. It’s worth noting that many of these franchises have existed for decades and were not originally part of Microsoft.

The company also emphasized its success in cloud services and the growth of its gaming division, which saw a 39% revenue increase in 2024, reaching $6 billion.

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