Being a CEO of an automaker is quite a lucrative position. FoMoCo’s CEO Alan Mulally definitely understands that first-hand as his total compensation for 2010 came in at an eye-wattering $26.5 million.

Nissan’s CEO Carlos Ghosn, 57, received 982 million yen or $11.46 million in total compensation last fiscal year, including salary and stock options.

Ghosn got a 10 percent increase in the year ending March, is the highest-paid leader among Japanese companies that have disclosed executive compensation, according to Bloomberg. Ghosn was followed by Sony Corp. Chairman Howard Stringer, who made about 863 million yen in salary, bonus and stock options.

Keep in mind that Ghosn’s pay at Nissan doesn’t include the compensation he gets as Renault’s CEO. Ghosn separately collected $1.7 million at Renault in 2010.

- By: Omar Rana

Source: Automotive News