While millions of workers are being ghosted, underpaid, and pushed into financial distress, America's top executives are breaking records — not for innovation, but for how much wealth they’ve hoarded.

The story of 2025 isn’t "economic recovery."

CEO Pay vs. Worker Pay: The Numbers

Forget what corporate spin tells you. Here’s the reality:

• The CEO-to-worker pay ratio hit 251:1 in 2023

• Average S&P 500 CEO compensation is now over $16.8 million

• In 2025, the average annual income in the U.S. is projected to be $61,984

Translation:

While workers are fighting for jobs in an empty job market, CEOs are getting multi-million dollar raises.

A Couple Offenders (And Their Paychecks)

Here's a snapshot of some of the CEOs cashing out big while job seekers unravel:

Want to see how much a company's CEO makes, compare salaries, against who ghosted or rejected you? Paywatch by AFL-CIO is a great tool to keep receipts.

How They Justify It (Badly)

Executives and boards spin endless excuses:

• "Market forces determine compensation."
• "We must reward performance to retain talent."
• "Stock-based pay aligns incentives with shareholders."

Meanwhile, workers are expected to accept:

• No raises.
• Unpaid overtime.
• Layoffs framed as "efficiency improvements."

It’s corporate gaslighting at its most obscene.

The Fallout for Everyone Else

While CEOs cash out, workers are grappling with:

• Housing insecurity: Over 54% of American renters now spend more than 30% of income on housing. (Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies, 2024)
• Skyrocketing debt: U.S. credit card debt hit $1.3 trillion in early 2025 — an all-time high. (Federal Reserve, 2025)
• Mental health collapse: Depression and anxiety rates linked to financial stress are at record levels. (CDC, 2024)

Connecting the Dots: Ghost Jobs and CEO Greed

Ghost jobs aren’t just an HR problem. They’re a symptom of a system designed to exploit workers while protecting obscene wealth at the top.

• Fake job listings keep unemployment numbers artificially low — helping Wall Street.
• Endless "open roles" mask hiring freezes — while stocks stay up.
• Low-wage desperation keeps salaries suppressed — protecting bottom lines.

Meanwhile, CEOs cash out millions even when their companies lay people off or tank performance.

The goal isn’t employment. The goal is profit — for them.

Final Thoughts:

• The American worker isn’t lazy.

• They’re trapped in a system rigged against them.

• Every CEO bonus built on layoffs.

• Every fake job listing posted to game the numbers.

• It’s not an accident.

• It’s the business model.

• And more of us are waking up every day.

#EatTheRich #OpenToGhosting

👉 Official numbers miss the truth: The Unseen Crisis

Disclaimer:

The content on this site is for informational and commentary purposes only and reflects the author's personal opinions. It does not constitute financial, legal, or professional advice. All data sources are cited where applicable. Stories shared by users or sourced from public forums are anonymized and presented for illustrative purposes only.