Satya Nadella receives $96.5 million in a year marked by massive layoffs at Microsoft

The CEO of Microsoft has beaten his own salary record while the company grows driven by artificial intelligence.

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Microsoft has closed a historic fiscal year, and its top executive, Satya Nadella, has received a total compensation of $96.5 million in 2025, representing a 22% increase from the $79 million received the previous year, as reported by Windows Central.

According to the financial report submitted to the SEC, the majority of the package consists of stock awards worth $84 million, while cash incentives amount to $9.5 million. This is in addition to the $2.5 million base salary, which completes a record figure even within the tech sector.

A Year of Record Profits and Mass Layoffs at Microsoft

The salary increase comes after a year marked by two opposing realities: on the one hand, Microsoft’s global expansion driven by AI, and on the other, over 15,000 layoffs worldwide over the past 12 months. Nadella previously acknowledged that the restructuring “weighed heavily” on him, although he defended the need to reorganize the company to maintain its leadership in the new technological era.

Financially, Microsoft achieved total revenues of $281.7 billion, with a 15% growth compared to the previous year. The Azure area was the main protagonist, with a 34% increase and over $75 billion generated, reflecting the strong demand for AI computing.

The document also highlights the company’s technical achievements under Nadella’s direction:

• Expansion of AI infrastructure with over 400 data centers in 70 regions.

• Progress towards a functional quantum computer with the Majorana-1 chip.

• Over 100 million monthly active Copilot users.

• Launch of Azure AI Foundry, with over 70,000 integrated companies, including 80% of the Fortune 500.

According to Microsoft’s compensation committee, “Satya Nadella and his management team have positioned the company as an undisputed leader in artificial intelligence, driving sustained growth based on innovation, security, and quality”.

An economic recognition that contrasts with the difficult situation of thousands of employees affected by the cuts, but reinforces the confidence of shareholders in the CEO’s strategy, the most influential of the post-Gates era.