Median CEO Pay Nears $7 Million in 2009

The numbers speak for themselves, and many investors and members of the public won't like them. According toThe Wall Street Journal's annual analysis of CEO compensation in America's top 200 companies, their median compensation was $6.95 million. The figure includes the "value of salaries, bonuses, long-term incentives, and grants of stock and stock options."

The payouts happened during a period when national unemployment climbed to 10%, and many companies on the list laid off thousands of workers.