Critics have charged that compensation to top managers in the United States is too high and should be cut back. For example, focusing on large corporations, Larry Culp of General Electric was one of the best-compensated CEOs in the United States during 2020, earning about $73 million. Are such amounts excessive?

In answering, it might be helpful to recognize that superstar athletes such as Cristiano Ronaldo, top earners in the entertainment field such as Kanye West and Oprah Winfrey, and many others at the top of their respective fields earn at least as much, if not a great deal more.