We’ve spent 15 years exposing runaway executive pay and pushing for a fairer economy. With funding for organisations like ours shrinking, we need your support to continue this vital work.
By the third working day of the year, the typical FTSE 100 CEO will have earned more than a median UK worker will earn in all of 2025.
In some cases, it’s even more extreme: the CEO of Melrose could earn a median worker’s annual salary in under three hours.
This isn’t inevitable – it’s a choice. For 15 years, the High Pay Centre has exposed these choices and pushed for fairer ones. Our research highlights runaway executive pay, shows how business practices entrench inequality, and points to practical solutions. We use this work to influence policymakers, shape media coverage, and drive public debate on corporate fairness.
What HPC has achieved
HPC was founded in 2011 following the High Pay Commission‘s inquiry into high pay, which showed executive pay rising from 15–20 times the average worker in the late 1970s to over 120 times by 2010. Since then we’ve:
- Helped secure mandatory pay ratio reporting and single figure disclosure for executive pay, so companies must publish clear information on how top pay compares with typical workers.
- Published annual CEO Pay and Pay Ratio Reports which provides employees, journalists, and policymakers with evidence to hold boards accountable, and has also kept executive pay in the media and on the political agenda.
- Produced research on worker voice, company reporting, and governance, highlighting inequality and offering practical solutions for fairer business practices.
- Influenced debate on the Employment Rights Bill through our Charter for Fair Pay.
- Built a reputation as the go-to independent voice on executive pay and corporate governance for journalists, civil servants, and MPs.
The push by the powerful for less accountability and higher pay at the top continues – from removing the bankers’ bonus cap to lobbying against transparency. HPC’s work is more important than ever.
The threat we face
Until now, HPC has relied mostly on philanthropic foundations. But foundation funding for social justice organisations has significantly shrunk, which is why we are now seeking ongoing financial support from individuals to secure our future.
Unlike pro–free market think-tanks, HPC cannot rely on wealthy individuals, corporations, or City interests for funding. Those same think tanks – including Tufton Street lobbyists, the IEA, and the TaxPayers’ Alliance – would like nothing more than to see us shut down, because we challenge their agenda and fight for fairness and transparency.
Why your support matters
HPC is at a crucial turning point. While we continue to seek project funding where we can, we now need a broader base of supporter-led income to keep producing independent research, media work, and policy analysis. That’s why we’re aiming to welcome 100 new regular supporters through this appeal.
Regular monthly support is vital to help us continue our work. It strengthens our ability to produce essential outputs like the CEO pay and pay-ratio reports and begins to build a supporter base we’ve never had before. Even a modest monthly contribution adds up over the year and directly supports HPC’s work.
As a small organisation without the profile or fundraising reach of larger charities, we welcome supporters to give an hour of their monthly wage – or whatever they can realistically afford. For some, this may be a higher contribution, which can make a real difference to HPC’s ability to continue its work.
If you want to keep the High Pay Centre independent, influential, and speaking up when it matters most, please become a regular supporter today.