Charlie Kirk Didn't Take a Salary for 5 Years—Now His Investment Strategy Reaches Millions Daily

Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA and host of “The Charlie Kirk Show,” has built a financial empire using an unconventional approach that prioritizes reinvestment over salary—and his investment philosophy during market downturns has proven remarkably profitable.

Speaking on the "The Iced Coffee Hour" podcast, Kirk revealed that he invests 75% to 80% of everything he makes, maintaining a highly diversified portfolio that spans private equity, mutual funds, index funds, real estate, and even emerging technologies. His disciplined approach to wealth building offers valuable insights for investors looking to maximize long-term returns. READ MORE

AMD Isn't Keeping Up With Meta Platforms' $100 Million Salaries For AI Talent, And The Reason Is Brilliant

Advanced Micro Devices pays its AI experts well, but it's not following Meta Platforms' footsteps. AMD CEO Lisa Su recently said that the AI chipmaker will not offer $100 million packages to compete with Meta Platforms as they recruit AI talent.

Su mentioned that money is "not necessarily the most important thing when you're attracting talent" in an interview with Wired. While it might sound like AMD is taking the cheap route, the company pays its employees well, and Su's expanded explanation reveals key business lessons. READ MORE

OpenAI may soon be the most valuable private company—but Sam Altman’s net worth won’t jolt, as the CEO holds no equity and makes just $76,001 a year

OpenAI is on the brink of becoming the world’s most valuable private company, anticipated to reach a $500 billion valuation after a $6 billion planned shares sale. But its cofounder and CEO, Sam Altman, won’t be shooting up the billionaire list for the major accomplishment—he currently holds zero equity in the AI company, earning an annual salary of $76,001. Instead, the bulk of his $1.9 billion fortune comes from his early investments in industry titans, including Reddit, Uber, Asana, and Airbnb. 

The AI race is one of the hottest business wars this decade, with the market expected to be worth $4.8 trillion by 2033. And OpenAI has been a front-runner in the fierce battle, with ChatGPT amassing a staggering 800 million active users, according to CEO Sam Altman. READ MORE

Starbucks’ CEO is ditching a merit system and giving all salaried staff a flat 2% pay raise instead

Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol is ditching a merit system in favor of a uniform 2% pay raise for all salaried employees in North America this year. The move comes as the coffee chain looks to limit costs while investments are funneled into turnaround efforts. Compensation experts tell Fortune salary slowdowns are common amid economic uncertainty, but the 2% rate lags behind the national average.

Starbucks will provide a flat 2% pay bump to all salaried employees in North America this year as the coffee chain looks to minimize costs as part of CEO Brian Niccol’s turnaround efforts. READ MORE

This Is the ‘Perfect’ Salary in America, According to a New Survey

A new survey says the average American would be happy making $74,000 a year. Not rich, not flashy—just enough to feel stable. But for a lot of people, that number feels out of reach.

The survey, conducted by Talker Research for SurePayroll, found that half of Americans say their current income doesn’t support the life they want. Nearly a quarter say they’re unhappy with what they make, and 35% are already looking for a new job. Another 39% say it’s harder than ever to get hired. READ MORE

NLPC Killing DEI in Executive Pay, But Companies Won’t Let Go

DEI is disappearing as a compensation committee responsibility. In recent years, it became commonplace to see diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) listed among human capital matters overseen by compensation committees. That changed this year. We’ve observed a 76% drop in S&P 500 companies that mention DEI-related terms in descriptions of their compensation committee’s responsibilities. Of those, most have removed the term altogether, though 17% changed it to “inclusion,” indicating a reorientation.

Now today, in a report published by the Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance, The Conference Board reports that explicit disclosure “of DEI-linked executive pay incentives declined sharply in 2025 amid legal and reputational concerns.” READ MORE

FLSA Overtime Reporting and Withholding

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (the Act), signed on July 4, 2025, allows a deduction from an individual’s personal tax return on Form 1040 for “qualified overtime compensation” as defined in new Code § 225. The amount that can be deducted from the employee’s return is capped at $12,500 with the maximum then adjusted down if the employee’s AGI exceeds certain limits. This deduction is permitted in 2025. READ MORE

More than a third of Americans are actively looking for a new job, but 39% say finding work is harder than ever before.

On average, Americans say $74,000 a year would make them happy, according to new survey from Talker Research. But there’s a disconnect: half of respondents say their current paychecks don’t support the lifestyle they want.

The survey of 2,000 adults, commissioned by SurePayroll By Paychex, describes how traditional employment and evolving goals are pushing people to look for alternatives that boost income and meaning at work. READ MORE

How far a $100,000 salary goes after taxes in every U.S. state

Earning a six-figure salary is a milestone for many workers — but take-home pay can vary by thousands of dollars depending on where you live.

A recent GOBankingRates analysis calculated the annual after-tax income for a single filer earning $100,000 and claiming the standard deduction in every U.S. state. Oregon had the highest tax burden, reducing annual take-home pay to about $70,500. READ MORE

Are You Prepared for Pay Transparency? Most Aren’t.

More than 60 million U.S. workers are now covered by pay transparency laws across 12 states, with another dozen state laws set to take effect later this year. Simultaneously, the European Union (EU) Pay Transparency Directive is driving pay transparency pressure for organizations inside and outside of Europe. (The latter directive applies not only to employers headquartered in the EU but also those with any employees there, with reporting required for businesses with 100 or more payrolled workers.)

With that as the setup, consider that only 19% of organizations surveyed globally consider themselves ready for pay transparency, according to recent data from professional services firm AonOpen in a new tab. READ MORE

CEO Compensation Today: Is It Broken?

We sat down on 20VC + SaaStr podcast with HubSpot co-founder and former CEO Brian Halligan for an unfiltered discussion about CEO compensation. What emerged was a masterclass in why our current approach is fundamentally broken — and what forward-thinking companies are doing differently.

The conversation revealed insights that most compensation committees would rather not discuss publicly. But for companies serious about aligning leadership incentives with exponential growth, these uncomfortable truths are essential. READ MORE

The X-Factor In Sales: How World-Class Compensation Programs Drive Results

Effective leaders are always on the hunt for strategic advantages that can help hone their organization’s competitive edge. This “X-factor” may take a variety of shapes (e.g., a unique product or service, a novel execution of a familiar concept, etc.), but what’s most likely to be uniquely advantageous for each organization is its people.

This may be surprising, given the proliferation and power of advanced technology like AI. But AI investments have yet to yield significant returns across the board. People remain the most valuable asset for achieving differentiated results. Unleashing the power of teams’ unique minds and voices requires thoughtful leadership, a sound strategy and effective motivation—and when it comes to people management, perhaps no greater motivation exists than compensation. READ MORE

Eric Adams, Embracing Veto Power, Says No to Raises for Instacart Workers

In his nearly four years as mayor of New York City, Eric Adams has rarely vetoed bills passed by the City Council. But as he ramps up his re-election campaign, he has vetoed four bills in quick succession, arguing that the measures would hurt the economy and public safety.

Mr. Adams, a Democrat who is running as an independent and is trailing in polls, has received a wave of criticism from members of his party over the vetoes, especially for his opposition to bills that would help grocery delivery workers and unlicensed street vendors. READ MORE

Here’s how the proposed new wage-based selection process may work

The H-1B visa rules for hiring foreign workers in US firms are expected to undergo significant changes in the near future. The US is expected to introduce a new wage-based system to reform the H-1B selection process.

The plan of the New Wage-Based System is to establish a wage-based allocation process and choose H-1B candidates based on their earnings; the higher the compensation paid by the US firm, the better the chances of obtaining an H-1B visa. READ MORE