Goldman Sachs announced on Friday that CEO David Solomon’s total annual compensation rose 20.5% to $47 million for 2025, following a strong year for the bank. This makes him one of the highest-paid chief executives on Wall Street. Solomon’s compensation eclipsed JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon’s $43 million pay package, which was announced on Thursday. Goldman Sachs is a leading global investment banking, securities, and investment management firm. It provides a wide range of financial services to a substantial and diversified client base.
Solomon’s compensation included a base salary of $2 million and $45 million in annual variable compensation. This is up from $31 million in 2023 and $39 million in 2024. Goldman’s strong year was capped with its fourth-quarter results last week, where its profit beat Wall Street expectations, driven by a surge in dealmaking and trading.
Goldman advised on significant mergers in 2025, including the $56.5 billion leveraged buyout of Electronic Arts and Alphabet’s $32 billion acquisition of cloud security firm Wiz. The bank also was a lead underwriter in medical supply giant Medline’s IPO in the fourth quarter, which was the largest listing globally in 2025. These deals helped Goldman secure the top spot for global M&A in 2025, advising on $1.48 trillion in total deal volume and raking in $4.6 billion in fees. The bank also expressed optimism for investment banking in 2026.
The board said the compensation was set after weighing the bank’s financial performance, the 2025 operating environment, and longer-term results. Under Solomon’s leadership, Goldman Sachs shares gained 53.5% in 2025, outperforming the broader market index and most of its banking peers. Solomon, who was named CEO in 2018, joined Goldman Sachs as a partner in 1999 and rose through the ranks. The bank also named President and Chief Operating Officer John Waldron to its board, reinforcing his status as a potential successor to Solomon.
