Earlier this month EA CEO Andrew Wilson’s 2026 fiscal year pay package drew a lot of attention, due to how large it was, frankly. Well, it turns out he may have actually taken home more money than previously thought.
What was previously reported by EA in its recent quarterly report was a combination of salary, bonus payments, and earned stock. This figure in Wilson’s case came in at around $39m in total, which is certainly nothing to sneeze at.
However, it looks as though the real figure could be much higher. As pointed out by Game File, a somewhat new alternative way of measuring pay packages called “compensation actually paid” would place Wilson’s 2026 fiscal year pay at around $77m. That is, if Game File’s math is correct.
The difference between the figures comes from the valuation of stock. In the reported figure, the stock value at the start of the year is used, which in this case for EA was under $150. For the “actually paid” valuation, it takes the stock value at the end of the year, which would come in at $202.
It is worth noting why this form of measurement is controversial. Many companies have complained that this (usually much higher) figure provides an inaccurate portrait of how much money executives are paid. The counter argument from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is that taking into account stock value at the end of the year is a lot closer to what an executive will actually get from their stock awards.
Which of these figures is more accurate is up to you, the reader. Though one additional figure worth pointing out from Game File’s coverage is the medium EA worker pay in 2026. According to the outlet, that came in at $127k.
Wilson and other executive’s lofty pay packages in 2026 came following layoffs among Battlefield 6 development studios, a game lauded in the EA quarterly report. This year will likely be the last time we see such figures publicly, as the company is now privately owned by investment firms Silver Lake and Affinity Partners, as well as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.
