If you look just a bit further there is an article linked to on the same page that says that average IT worker salary is $86,000. With compensation of just $2 million the executives are getting roughly 23 times the compensation the average worker in the IT industry. Well below your 100x figure that you gave for your much loved Europe. Thousands of times is rediculous. That would mean the workers were making under $2000 a year, and the US government will give you 5x that amount to just sit on the couch.