The top executives at the seven private companies earn a total of more than $1.8 million a year, according to a 2002 article in Newsday.

Should a chief executive earn more than his company?

Rarely does another senior officer take home more than the chief executive earns.

Scherr made $260,000 in 2003 when the chief executive would typically earn around $500,000.

If America's chief executives really earned their money, I'd be more sympathetic.

Overall, the magazine found that the chief executives of America's 500 biggest companies earned an average of $15.2 million each.

The commission said the disparity between what executives and average workers earn has been widening for many years.

Its new executives in Jacksonville earn $85,000 and up, some as much as $175,000 a year.

It found that when a chief executive earned a median salary of $139,000, the top marketing officer received $90,000, or about 65 percent as much.

A long-term contract does not by itself imply that a chief executive will earn a lot during a company's lean times.