--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: CEOs are paid for doing a terrible job…" description: "\"CEOs are paid for doing a terrible job. If the system wasn't so messed up, guys like me wouldn't make this kind of money.\" — Carl Icahn" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/59c/carl-icahn-17975_ceo_ceos-are-paid-for-doing-a-terrible-job-i_103521.png" --- # CEOs are paid for doing a terrible job. If the system… ![“CEOs are paid for doing a terrible job. If the system wasn't so messed up, guys like me wouldn't make this kind of money.” quote by Carl Icahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/59c/carl-icahn-17975_ceo_ceos-are-paid-for-doing-a-terrible-job-i_103521.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/59c/carl-icahn-17975_ceo_ceos-are-paid-for-doing-a-terrible-job-i_103521.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/59c/carl-icahn-17975_ceo_ceos-are-paid-for-doing-a-terrible-job-i_103521.png) > “CEOs are paid for doing a terrible job. If the system wasn't so messed up, guys like me wouldn't make this kind of money.” [Carl Icahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-icahn/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker criticizes excessive CEO compensation, implying systemic flaws that enable disproportionate earnings for a few. **In simple terms:** CEOs earn too much because the system is broken. Key Takeaway Compensation disparity reflects structural problems. Themes economics leadership inequality corporate governance Mood critical skeptical Type social critique business commentary When to use this quote - board meetings - policy debates - shareholder activism Key Concepts incentive misalignment wealth distribution Practical Applications - advocate for pay‑ratio reforms - push for transparent compensation structures Questions to Reflect On - What mechanisms could align CEO pay with performance? - How do you measure a CEO’s true impact? A Different Perspective Not all CEOs are poorly performing; some add significant value. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ceo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ceo/) [Ceos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ceos/) [Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jobs/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) ## Related quotes > [I did record a bunch of stuff, but the thing that usually stops me from doing that is that I'm a terrible singer. 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I mean, that's so much work doing what they do, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ian-black/the-illustrators-work-so-much-harder-on-the-books-than-the-writers-do/) [Michael Ian Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ian-black/) > [We've done a terrible job of hiring, supporting, and retaining the people tasked with the difficult responsibility of teaching our children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bennet/we-ve-done-a-terrible-job-of-hiring-supporting-and-retaining-the/) [Michael Bennet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bennet/) > [I had a terrible job letting me do anything that wasn't comedy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-guest/i-had-a-terrible-job-letting-me-do-anything-that-wasn-t-comedy/) [Val Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-guest/) > [I don't want to be a hardware engineer. That seems like a terrible job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brianna-wu/i-don-t-want-to-be-a-hardware-engineer-that-seems-like-a-terrible-job/) [Brianna Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brianna-wu/) > [I think the absolute worst job I ever had - not because it was a terrible job, just because I was just so bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-simons/i-think-the-absolute-worst-job-i-ever-had-not-because-it-was-a/) [Timothy Simons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-simons/) > [The most terrible job in warfare is to be a second lieutenant leading a platoon when you are on the battlefield.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/the-most-terrible-job-in-warfare-is-to-be-a-second-lieutenant-leading/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [When we don't unite, we do a terrible job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-brady/when-we-don-t-unite-we-do-a-terrible-job/) [Kevin Brady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-brady/) > [Even if God exists, he's done such a terrible job, it's a wonder people don't get together and file a class action suit against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/even-if-god-exists-he-s-done-such-a-terrible-job-it-s-a-wonder-people/) [Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/) > [Hillary Clinton's done a terrible job for the African-Americans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/hillary-clinton-s-done-a-terrible-job-for-the-african-americans/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [I've never had a terrible job. I've been a cook, waitress, bookseller, teacher, freelance writer. I know what the bad jobs are, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-patchett/i-ve-never-had-a-terrible-job-i-ve-been-a-cook-waitress-bookseller/) [Ann Patchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-patchett/) > [I became super stressed, depressed and miserable because I thought I was terrible at my job when I could not perform flawlessly every day,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindsey-morgan/i-became-super-stressed-depressed-and-miserable-because-i-thought-i/) [Lindsey Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindsey-morgan/) > [The deck is still stacked in favor of those already at the top. And there's something wrong with that. There's something wrong when CEOs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/the-deck-is-still-stacked-in-favor-of-those-already-at-the-top-and/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [“It seems some CEOs who pay extremely large acquisition premiums … come to believe their own press.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chip-heath/it-seems-some-ceos-who-pay-extremely-large-acquisition-premiums-come/) [Chip Heath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chip-heath/) ## More by Carl Icahn > [I can tell you how bad our boards are... I don't have to watch Saturday Night Live anymore; I just go to the board…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-icahn/i-can-tell-you-how-bad-our-boards-are-i-don-t-have-to-watch-saturday/) [Carl Icahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-icahn/) > [In life and business, there are two cardinal sins. The first is to act precipitously without thought and the second is to not act…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-icahn/in-life-and-business-there-are-two-cardinal-sins-the-first-is-to-act/) [Carl Icahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-icahn/) > [Had a nice conversation with Tim Cook today. Discussed my opinion that a larger buyback should be done now. We plan to speak again…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-icahn/had-a-nice-conversation-with-tim-cook-today-discussed-my-opinion-that/) [Carl Icahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-icahn/) > [Reuters was completely accurate that I am concerned about the level of the market. 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If you want a friend, get a dog.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-icahn/you-learn-in-this-business-if-you-want-a-friend-get-a-dog/) [Carl Icahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-icahn/) > [My wife watches me like a hawk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-icahn/my-wife-watches-me-like-a-hawk/) [Carl Icahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-icahn/) > [When you have no one to answer to, vendetta as investment strategy is as legitimate as anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-icahn/when-you-have-no-one-to-answer-to-vendetta-as-investment-strategy-is/) [Carl Icahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-icahn/) > [We're not about liquidating companies, but if you do that, why is that terrible? We're not blowing up the factories. The person who buys…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-icahn/we-re-not-about-liquidating-companies-but-if-you-do-that-why-is-that/) [Carl Icahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-icahn/) > [With some exceptions, the wrong people are running U.S. companies. It's been that way for years, and it hasn't gotten much better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-icahn/with-some-exceptions-the-wrong-people-are-running-u-s-companies-it-s/) [Carl Icahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-icahn/) > [We have bloated bureaucracies in Corporate America. 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Some things I won't do for any amount of money. Like for instance, there's a couple of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-crumb/i-draw-the-line-at-some-things-some-things-i-won-t-do-for-any-amount/) [Robert Crumb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-crumb/) > [I want to share that I had and still do, and a great relationship with Angela Ahrendts. She was the CEO of Burberry. One…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-e-glaser/i-want-to-share-that-i-had-and-still-do-and-a-great-relationship-with/) [Judith E. Glaser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-e-glaser/) > [If the CEO is not going to give you a fair chance, you're probably not going to win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-goldsmith/if-the-ceo-is-not-going-to-give-you-a-fair-chance-you-re-probably-not/) [Marshall Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-goldsmith/) > [I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple's CEO, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/i-have-always-said-if-there-ever-came-a-day-when-i-could-no-longer/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [Governor Romney may be running for CEO, I'm running for President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/newt-gingrich/governor-romney-may-be-running-for-ceo-i-m-running-for-president/) [Newt Gingrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/newt-gingrich/) > [Culture is what happens when the CEO isn't in the room.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-collison/culture-is-what-happens-when-the-ceo-isn-t-in-the-room/) [John Collison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-collison/) > [Political journalists love graduate student intelligence, the ability to make clever allusions in seminars, and in 1999-2000 they hassled George W. Bush for not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-olasky/political-journalists-love-graduate-student-intelligence-the-ability/) [Marvin Olasky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-olasky/) > [The deck is still stacked in favor of those already at the top. And there's something wrong with that. There's something wrong when CEOs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/the-deck-is-still-stacked-in-favor-of-those-already-at-the-top-and/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [While they're in WWE, we absolutely have a health and wellness policy. I'll probably always say 'we,' even though I've resigned as the CEO.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-mcmahon/while-they-re-in-wwe-we-absolutely-have-a-health-and-wellness-policy/) [Linda McMahon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-mcmahon/) > [It doesn't make much sense and it's nil premium. They're going to have co-CEOs...which is a very uncomfortable structure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-sorrell/it-doesn-t-make-much-sense-and-it-s-nil-premium-they-re-going-to-have/) [Martin Sorrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-sorrell/) [Browse all 668 Ceo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ceo/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "CEOs are paid for doing a terrible job. 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