Sharp increase in US CEO salaries in 2010. Median CEO earnings in 500 of the biggest quoted companies in the US increased by a rate of $12 million in 2010, according to a report from GovernanceMetrics International (GMI). This is an 18% increase on 2009 rates. This amount includes all areas of remuneration that bosses in the hard-hitting companies in the economy can command (fixed and variable salaries, share bonuses, payment in kind, etc.). Pay trends for these big shots are still below those seen at the time of the bursting of the credit bubble at the end of 2008 but this evolution does, however, signify a spectacular swing of the pendulum in the other direction, provoked in large part by improved financial assets results. The salaries of the US employer elite have clearly increased at a faster rate than US GDP, which creates concern that a return to the pre-crisis excesses could be happening. The biggest salary is currently earned by the CEO of Walt Disney ($54.917 million total salary in 2010), followed by the CEO of Express Scripts ($51.524 millions) and the boss of Coach ($49.452). (I.L.trans/fl)