Dish Network chair Charlie Ergen’s total compensation rose 41% in 2017 to $2.4 million, mainly due to option awards the long-time satellite executive received during the year.
Ergen’s salary stayed level at $1 million for the year, but the satellite chief received $654,033 in option awards and $6,389 in stock awards. He received no such awards in 2016, when his total compensation was $1.7 million.
Despite the gain, Ergen’s compensation is dramatically lower than his peers in the industry. For example, Charter Communications chair CEO Tom Rutledge received $98.5 million in total compensation in 2016 and $7.8 million in 2017.
Erik Carlson, who became Dish CEO in December, received total compensation of $1.5 million for the year, a 61% decline from the $3.8 million he received in 2016. Carlson’s 2016 package included about $3.2 million in option awards. He received $654,033 in option awards in 2017.
SVP and chief financial officer Steven Swain received $887,646 in total compensation, up 38% from the prior year and due mainly by a $300,000 increase in option awards. Rounding out the executive list, EVP engineering and broadcast Jeffrey McSchooler received $2.1 million in total compensation, including $1.5 million in option awards. EVP and chief technology officer Vivek Khema and EVP corporate development Thomas Cullen each received $1.2 million in total compensation for the year.
