Apple reveals pay packets of top execs

Apple chief executive Tim Cook's compensation rose 11.5 percent to US$10.3 million (A$14.6 million) in 2015, the company said on Wednesday, a year when its sales grew 28 percent and profits by 35 percent but its shares fell for the first time since 2008.

Tim Cook

Meanwhile, chief financial officer Luca Maestri's annual compensation rose about 81 percent to US$25.3 million (A$35.9 million) in 2015.

In fact, Cook was the lowest-paid of the company's top executives.

Angela Ahrendts, the senior vice president for retail and online stores, was the highest paid, with a total pay package of US$25.8 million.

Cook also sat below senior vice president in charge of internet, software and services Eddy Cue, senior vice president in charge of hardware engineering, Dan Riccio, and general counsel and secretary Bruce Sewell in the pay rankings. 

All three earned roughly $US25 million in the year.

Cook's base pay increased about 14.4 percent to US$2 million last year, while non-equity incentive compensation rose about 19 percent to US$8 million, according to a regulatory filing.

Apple had a good year for the most part under Cook. Sales in China in the most recent quarter nearly doubled from the same quarter in the prior year, for instance, and the iPhone continued to see record sales.

The company hit a rough patch towards the end of 2015, with shares falling about 4.6 percent for the year, the stock's first negative year since the global credit crisis.

As of 26 September, Cook held about 3.1 million Apple shares that have not vested, potentially enabling him to earn over US$310 million based on the stock's Wednesday closing price.

The shares are expected to vest between August 2016 and August 2021.

Shares of the world's most valuable company dropped below US$100 for the first time in nearly five months on Wednesday before regaining some ground to close at US$100.70.