The 10 CEOs Who Were Worth Every Penny This Decade

Publish date: 2024-06-26
2009-12-21T14:10:00Z

steve jobs apple mac imacTo cut through public perception and other biased measures, a group of economists invented an algorithm for overall CEO performance.

The study ranks CEOs by averaging three measures:

  • Country-adjusted total shareholder return -- how a company performed against the local stock market.
  • Industry-adjusted total shareholder return -- how a company performed against the industry average.
  • Change in market capitalization -- how a company changed in market value.

    • In fact, some of the most popular CEOs of the past decade did pretty well by this measure too.

    A ranking and analysis of the top 50 appears in the January issue of the Harvard Business Review.

    See The 10 Best CEOs In The World>>

    p.s. The study considers data about CEOs that assumed their job after January 1995, which does not include Jack Welch, Warren Buffet, Larry Ellison, and Bill Gates.

    #10 Hugh Grant: Monsant 2003 - Present

    Market Cap Change:

    $35 billion (# 87)

    Country-Adjusted Total Shareholder Return:

    684% (# 35)

    Industry-Adjusted Total Shareholder Return:

    572% (# 47)

    Photo: Monsanto

    Source: Knowledge@Insead Top 200 Global CEOs

    #9 Eric E. Schmidt: Google 2001 - Present

    Market Cap Change:

    $101 billion (#19)

    Country-Adjusted TSR:

    387% (#65)

    Industry-Adjusted TSR:

    344% (#82)

    Source: Knowledge@Insead Top 200 Global CEOs

    #8 Margaret C. Whitman: Ebay 1998 - 2008

    Market Cap Change:

    $20 billion (#74)

    Country-Adjusted TSR:

    1,434% (#11)

    Industry-Adjusted TSR:

    1,368% (#15)

    Source: Knowledge@Insead Top 200 Global CEOs

    #7 Jeffrey P. Bezos: Amazon 1996 - Present

    Market Cap Change:

    $37 billion (#77)

    Country-Adjusted TSR:

    4,592% (#2)

    Industry-Adjusted TSR:

    4,586% (#1)

    Source: Knowledge@Insead Top 200 Global CEOs

    #6 John C. Martin: Gilead 1996 - Present

    Market Cap Change:

    $39 billion (#66)

    Country-Adjusted TSR:

    2,089% (#6)

    Industry-Adjusted TSR:

    2,054% (#7)

    Photo: Gilead

    Source: Knowledge@Insead Top 200 Global CEOs

    #5 Mukesh D. Ambani: Reliance 2002 - Present

    Market Cap Change:

    $72 billion (#27)

    Country-Adjusted TSR:

    1,001% (#17)

    Industry-Adjusted TSR:

    1,430% (#12)

    Source: Knowledge@Insead Top 200 Global CEOs

    #4 John T. Chambers: Cisco 1995 - Present

    Market Cap Change:

    $152 billion (#5)

    Country-Adjusted TSR:

    922% (#20)

    Industry-Adjusted TSR:

    1,054% (#18)

    Source: Knowledge@Insead Top 200 Global CEOs

    #3 Alexey B. Miller: Gazprom 2001 - Present

    Market Cap Change:

    $101 billion (#20)

    Country-Adjusted TSR:

    2,032% (#7)

    Industry-Adjusted TSR:

    2,427% (#6)

    Source: Knowledge@Insead Top 200 Global CEOs

    #2 Yun Jong-Yong: Samsung 1996 - 2008

    Market Cap Change:

    $127 billion (#11)

    Country-Adjusted TSR:

    1,559% (#10)

    Industry-Adjusted TSR:

    1,458% (#11)

    Source: Knowledge@Insead Top 200 Global CEOs

    #1 Steve Jobs Apple 1997- Present

    Market Cap Change:

    $150 billion (#6)

    Country-Adjusted TSR:

    3,226% (#4)

    Industry-Adjusted TSR:

    3,188% (#4)

    Source: Knowledge@Insead Top 200 Global CEOs

    Now read...

    The Best Performing Stocks Of The Decade

    and

    The Best Performing Stock Markets Of The Decade

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