Microsoft’s chief executive Satya Nadella earned $79.1m (£61m) last year, a rise of 63% compared to his compensation the year before.

That was despite a request from Mr Nadella to reduce one element of his pay package because of cybersecurity flaws at the tech giant – which resulted in him getting $5m less than he otherwise would have.

In ordinary with many tech firms, Microsoft has cut thousands of jobs this year, including many in its gaming division.

But in a proxy statement filed with the US monetary regulator, the board said the business’s turnover grew by 16% in the year to 30 June 2024.

“Mr. Nadella agreed that the business’s act was extremely powerful,” Microsoft’s compensation committee wrote in a note to shareholders.

It added he asked them “to consider departing from the established act metrics and reduce his liquid assets incentive to reflect his personal accountability” over a number of cyber attacks.

One such attack was reported in July 2023 by Microsoft, where hackers gained access to the email accounts of around 25 organisations, including government agencies.

Microsoft said the attack originated in China, though the Chinese embassy in London called this “disinformation”.

The financial period runs up to 30 June 2024 – just weeks before the massive internet outage which affected Microsoft Windows PCs, causing chaos around the globe.

While that was not a cyber attack, later in July Microsoft apologised for another outage which was caused by a cyber attack.

The compensation committee said it reduced Mr Nadella’s liquid assets pay by more than half, to $5.2m.

That represents less than 7% of his total pay.

The bulk of his pay, $71.2m, was made up of distribute options.

High Pay Centre director Luke Hildyard said “superficially” the returns made sense given Microsoft’s powerful monetary act.

“However, we might also inquire whether the extra $79 million on top of $49 million last year for someone who is already worth hundreds of millions, with more money than they could spent over multiple lifetimes of absolute luxury, is really essential as a reward of incentive,” he told the BBC.

“None of Microsoft’s achievement would be feasible without workers, customers and wider population so perhaps the proceeds of that achievement should be distribute a little more evenly,” he added.

Elsewhere in large tech, Apple boss Tim Cook earned $63.2m in 2023, while the chief executive of the globe’s most valuable business Nvidia, Jensen Huang, was paid $34.2m in the 2024 financial year.

But none of them arrive close to Tesla boss Elon Musk, whose pay packet could be worth up to $56bn.