America's HIghest-paid CEO

America's highest-paid CEO is a Houstonian: Meet the $141.9 Million Man

With Houston's booming economy, specifically in the oil and gas industry, it should come as no real surprise that America's highest paid CEO hails from the Bayou City.

But his 2013 compensation is still jaw dropping. Equilar — the data provider for The New York Times — crunched the numbers on compensation, professional history and wealth events for executives of publicly-traded companies. Data showed that chairman, president and CEO Charif Souki of Houston-based Cheniere Energy topped The New York Times 200 Highest Paid CEO Rankings with a cool $141,949,280 in compensation last year.

According to its website, Cheniere Energy "provides information on liquefied natural gas, U.S. energy demand, and how LNG can help to safely diversify and expand our energy supply."

Souki's 2013 salary was only $800,000. The other $141.1 million came from bonuses and stock.

Neither 61-year-old Souki or Cheniere Energy appeared on the 2013 list of the top 100 highest paid CEOs.

According to Forbes, Souki's 2013 salary was only $800,000. The other $141.1 million Cheniere's CEO received in compensation came from a large bonus ($3.6 million), non-equity incentive plan compensation ($4.2 million) and other compensation ($339,280), as well as more than $132 million from restricted stock awards. Additionally, Equilar's data indicates that Souki has sold more than $69 million in stock over the past three years.

In comparison to Souki's $141 million compensation, Exxon Mobil's CEO Rex Tillerson — at No. 25 on the list — made $28.1 million in 2013, and John Watson of Chevron — at No. 64 — was compensated $20.2 million.

Other local CEOs featured on Equilar's list include Paal Kibsgaard of Houston-based Schlumberger — the world's largest oil field services company — at No. 49 with $22 million received in 2013 compensation. Robert A. Walker, chairman, president and CEO of The Woodlands-based oil and gas exploration company Anadarko Petroleum, came in at No. 116 on the list with $15.7 million in 2013. Gary R. Heminger, president and CEO of Houston-based Marathon Oil , ranked 188th on the list with $12.7 million in compensation.

Charif Souki, chairman, president and CEO of Houston-based Cheniere Energy, is the highest paid CEO in the country with $141.9 million in compensation in 2013.

Photo via Forbes

Charif Souki, chairman, president and CEO of Houston-based Cheniere Energy, is the highest paid CEO in the country with $141.9 million in compensation in 2013.

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santa's favorite city

Houston makes the nice list of top 5 most festive U.S. cities in 2024

Photo courtesy of City Lights

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Houston's unending love for the winter holidays is shining bright this year, as the city was just declared the No. 4 most festive city in America for 2024.

Home services provider Thumbtack's recently released report compiled data from millions of holiday light installation requests across all 50 states between October 2023 to October 2024 to reveal its list of the most festive cities in the nation.

Houston previously held the coveted No. 3 spot in 2023 before slipping to No. 4 this year. The city previously ranked No. 4 in 2022.

Houstonians have plenty of citywide light displays to pull inspiration from for their own homes, including the new Coca Cola Classic Christmas, Memorial Park's Holiday Lights, and many more.

Texas cities are far merrier than many other places in the country, with Austin leading the nation as the No.1 most festive city for the third year in a row, and Dallas ranking just one spot behind as No. 2. San Antonio ranked No. 10 this year, after previously ranking No. 5 in the 2023 report.

Houstonians will have to get creative when it comes to their holiday decorating, as the weather doesn't always cooperate with the classic "White Christmas" theme. But that's to be expected from one of the top 10 best warm-weather travel destinations nationwide.

"In the milder climates, you probably won’t find a winter wonderland, but you might see plenty of twinkling lights, tinsel, and bold colors outside the traditional red, green, and white palette," the report's author wrote. "Neon baubles, vintage plastic Santa molds, and playful LED lights keep properties festive and bright. Native eucalyptus, olive branches, and succulents are used as greenery in place of traditional pine and fir."

Outsourcing that outdoor holiday decorating will cost a pretty penny, according to Thumbtack's analysts. The study said the average cost to hire a holiday lighting specialist can range from $168-$300, depending on the scope of the project and home size. Thumbtack also recommends Houstonians avoid hiring a lighting specialist during Thanksgiving weekend, which is the time period that sees the highest demand.

Thumbtack's top 10 most festive U.S. cities in 2024 are:

No. 1 – Austin, Texas
No. 2 – Dallas, Texas
No. 3 – Seattle, Washington
No. 4 – Houston, Texas
No. 5 – San Francisco, California
No. 6 – Atlanta, Georgia
No. 7 – Sacramento, California
No. 8 – Charlotte, North Carolina
No. 9 – Raleigh, North Carolina
No. 10 – San Antonio, Texas

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