TotalEnergies CEO Patrick Pouyanné could see his salary increase by 10%

The project does not go unnoticed in this period of social tensions and after other controversies, in particular that on the superprofits of certain large groups. The press release specifies that the Board of Directors will submit a motion on May 26 which provides for “the remuneration and the allocation of performance shares for 2023 up 10% compared to 2022”. An increase which comes from the increase in the number of shares allocated to the CEO, the fixed remuneration of 1.5 million euros and the variable one not changing.

In 2021, Patrick Pouyanné’s remuneration had increased by almost 52% to approach six million euros, sparking controversy in the midst of a wage dispute in the group’s refineries. But this increase followed a 36% drop in the remuneration of Patrick Pouyanné in 2020, voluntary amputation during the health crisis, and also due to the decline in the variable part of the salary linked to the results of the TotalEnergies group.

Initiative assumed

Patrick Pouyanné has always denied it: it is not he who sets his remuneration but the board of directors of the company. The amount is then proposed to shareholders, including small holders, at a general meeting, who approve it or not. So green on May 26th. It should be noted that this 10% increase is equivalent to that enjoyed on average by executives on the basis of the common social base, a system defined with the unions, in France.

This increase of the boss is assumed by the board of directors of a group which holds in full storm and vis-a-vis the violent international competition. It is the argument “the company is well held”, and the remuneration of Patrick Pouyanné is much lower than the 26 million euros that touches for example by the boss of the American oil giant Exxon Mobil. TotalEnergies today employs some 100,000 people in 130 countries.