Ivan Seidenberg, Verizon CEO

2006 Compensation: $21,309,000

Ivan Seidenberg has steered the company now known as Verizon through two big mergers during the last decade: Bell Atlantic and NYNEX in 1997 and the Bell Atlantic merger with GTE in 2000. Seidenberg began his career after high school as a telecommunications lineman's assistant. He has led Verizon since it was founded, and before that Seidenberg was chairman and CEO of Bell Atlantic and NYNEX.