Financial Times: 'Lagarde's salary is four times that of Powell'

According to an analysis by the Financial Times, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde's full salary is more than 50 per cent higher than that declared by the institution. According to the newspaper's calculations, she earned a total of around EUR 726,000 in 2024, some 56 per cent more than the 'basic' salary of EUR 466,000 reported by the ECB in its annual report.

This means that Lagarde earns almost four times as much as US Federal Reserve Chairman Jay Powell, whose salary is set by US federal law and is currently capped at $203,000 (EUR 172,720).

Lagarde's basic salary alone makes her the highest paid official in the EU: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's annual basic salary is 21% lower, the City newspaper reports. In addition to her basic salary at the ECB, says the Ft, Lagarde receives about EUR 135,000 in benefits for housing and other expenses and about EUR 125,000 for her position as one of the 18 board members of the Bank for International Settlements. The ECB's annual report makes no reference to Lagarde's salary at the Bri.