ISS reported the following executive perk trends based on its review of proxy statements filed as of October 2025 for 2025 annual shareholder meetings.
Perk prevalence—The prevalence of CEO perks remained stable, with approximately 43% of Russell 3000 companies (generally on par with prior years) and 70% of S&P 500 companies (reflecting a 5-year high) providing at least one perk to their CEO in 2024.
Executive security—The prevalence of security perks has been trending upward with the most significant year-over-year uptick among S&P 500 and Russell 3000 companies observed in 2025 proxy disclosures:
ISS expects the upward trend to continue, consistent with increasing concerns about CEO security. The report also reveals trends in relation to travel-related perks, life insurance and financial planning perks, and home relocation perks.
Say-on-pay—While perks are rarely determinative, higher aggregate values of perks are associated with lower shareholder support for SOP. That said, ISS notes that investors tend to consider multiple factors in their voting determinations, including the overall magnitude of compensation, company performance, and pay practices, and are generally supportive of perks provided they don’t appear excessive or lack a clear and compelling rationale.