Coinbase Paid CEO Armstrong $60M in 2020 – Including $1.8M for ‘Personal Security’

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong received $1.78 million to cover “personal security” expenses in FY2020 as the 38-year-old tech CEO prepared to take the cryptocurrency exchange operator public.

• Armstrong, who founded Coinbase in 2012, netted nearly $60 million in salary, stock options and "all other compensation" in FY2020, according to the crypto firm's newly-filed S-1, making him Coinbase's highest-paid executive.
• While the lion's share of that sum – $56.6 million – came via option awards and an additional $1 million for his base salary, Armstrong also received $1.78 million to cover "costs related to personal security measures."
• "We view personal security expenses for Mr. Armstrong as reasonable business expenses due to a bona fide business-oriented security concern and not the receipt of taxable personal benefits," the S-1 read. Armstrong appears to be the only Coinbase employee with such an arrangement.
• Joining Armstrong on Coinbase's list of highest-paid employees are Chief Product Officer Surojit Chatterjee ($15.8 million in 2020 compensation) and Chief Legal Officer Paul Grewal ($18 million in 2020). Chatterjee's and Grewal's packages also leaned heavily on stock and option awards.