Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon Sees 20% Increase in 2025 Compensation

Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon addressed attendees at the Economic Club of Washington in D.C. on October 30, 2025. The bank announced on January 23 that Solomon's total annual compensation surged by 20.5% to $47 million for 2025, following a robust year for the company, positioning him among the highest-paid executives on Wall Street. This figure surpasses the $43 million compensation package of JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon, which was disclosed just a day earlier with a modest increase of over 10%. Solomon's compensation structure includes a base salary of $2 million and $45 million in variable compensation. He earned $31 million in 2023 and $39 million in 2024. Goldman Sachs capped off a strong performance with fourth-quarter results last week, exceeding Wall Street's expectations, driven by a significant rise in both dealmaking and trading activity. Notable transactions included advising on the $56.5 billion leveraged buyout of Electronic Arts and Alphabet's $32 billion acquisition of cloud security firm Wiz. The bank also led the largest global IPO in 2025 with the listing of medical supply giant Medline in the fourth quarter. These significant deals helped Goldman maintain its leading position in global M&A for 2025, advising on $1.48 trillion in total deal volume and earning $4.6 billion in fees. The bank is optimistic about its investment banking outlook for 2026, boosted by a more favorable regulatory environment under U.S. President Donald Trump, lower interest rates, and ample liquidity, all of which have spurred increased deal activity. The board determined Solomon's compensation based on the bank's financial performance, operational environment, and long-term results. Under Solomon's leadership, who initially faced rejection from Goldman after college, the bank's shares rose by 53.5% in 2025, outperforming the broader market and most of its banking counterparts. Solomon joined Goldman in 1999 after leaving Bear Stearns, eventually succeeding Lloyd Blankfein, who led the bank through the 2008 financial crisis. Solomon became CEO in 2018, and the bank recently appointed President and COO John Waldron to the board, solidifying his status as a possible successor. Reporting by Arunima Kumar and Pritam Biswas in Bengaluru; Edited by Shreya Biswas. Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.