 And all they'd have to do to save even more is find somebody to do the job for a mere $100 million. Or maybe even somebody who'd work the necessary 60-hour weeks for only $1 million. So why is executive pay so high? I've examined this question with both my psychotherapist hat on and my amateur economist hat on, and only one rational answer presents itself. CEOs in America make as much money as they do because there really is a shortage of well-trained sociopaths.