Earlier this month, EA CEO Andrew Wilson's fiscal 2026 compensation package drew widespread attention for one simple reason—the amount was simply enormous. However, it turns out that the money he actually took home may be far greater than previously reported.
In its recent quarterly report, EA disclosed the sum of salary, bonuses, and vested stocks. Wilson's figure was approximately $39 million, which is certainly no small amount.
However, the actual figure could be much higher. As pointed out by Game File, a relatively new compensation metric—"compensation actually paid"—places Wilson's fiscal 2026 compensation at around $77 million. That is, assuming Game File's calculations are correct.
The discrepancy between the two figures stems from how stocks are valued. In the reported figure, the stock value at the beginning of the year is used, which for EA was below $150 at the time. The "actually paid" valuation method uses the stock value at the end of the year, which was $202.
It's worth noting that there are reasons why this metric is controversial. Many companies complain that this (often much higher) figure does not accurately reflect the actual amount of compensation executives receive. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) counters that including year-end stock values provides a closer approximation of the actual benefits executives gain from stock awards.
Which of these two figures is more accurate is left for readers to judge. However, there is another noteworthy number in the Game File report: the median employee compensation at EA in fiscal 2026. According to the media outlet, this figure stands at $127,000.
Wilson and other executives received such hefty compensation packages in fiscal 2026 amid layoffs at the studio developing Battlefield 6—a game that was highly praised in EA's quarterly report. This year is likely the last time we will see such figures publicly disclosed, as the company has now been taken private by investment firms Silver Lake and Affinity Partners, along with Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund.