CEO Charles Ergen was paid $4,648,665 in fiscal year 2025, ↑ up 13.4% from fiscal year 2024 (SEC filing 0001104659-26-108960 ↗): executive and director compensation, incentive-plan design, equity activity, and governance — every figure in this brief is traceable to its exact location in the company’s SEC filing — the document, the section, the page, and the table, linked directly.
$10,179,420 John Swieringa total, FY2025 President, Technology and Chief Operating Officer — highest-paid officer; CEO Charles Ergen: $4,648,665 | — CEO (Charles Ergen) pay percentile vs peers | 55:1 CEO-to-median pay ratio | 98.32% Say-on-pay support, latest vote |
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ECHO's next annual pay disclosure, estimated September 18, 2027.est. Filing ↗
| Named executive officer | Salary | Bonus | Stock awards | Option awards | Non-equity incentive | Pension / NQDC | All other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Swieringa | $1,025,000 | $0 | $6,365,000 | $2,417,170 | $365,250 | $0 | $7,000 | $10,179,420 |
| President, Technology and Chief Operating Officer | ||||||||
| Hamid Akhavan | 2,500,014 | 0 | 6,026,318 | 0 | 0 | 28,087 | 13,293 | 8,567,712 |
| President and Chief Executive Officer, EchoStar Capital | ||||||||
| Paul Orban | 696,154 | 0 | 3,975,000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7,520 | 4,678,674 |
| Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, DISH | ||||||||
| Charles Ergen | 1,000,000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3,648,665 | 4,648,665 |
| Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer | ||||||||
| Dean Manson | 682,089 | 0 | 0 | 604,292 | 420,040 | 64,458 | 7,520 | 1,778,399 |
| Chief Legal Officer and Secretary | ||||||||
| Paul Gaske | 750,006 | 0 | 0 | 604,292 | 237,001 | 72,348 | 7,416 | 1,671,064 |
| Chief Operating Officer, Hughes | ||||||||
A dash means the company reported no figure in that column; 0 means it reported zero. Figures are as printed in the filing, without adjustment.
| Named executive officer | FY2025 total | FY2024 total | FY2023 total | Δ FY2024→2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Swieringa | $10,179,420 | $4,977,117 | — | ↑ +5,202,303 |
| Hamid Akhavan | 8,567,712 | 8,927,865 | 7,190,962 | ↓ −360,153 |
| Paul Orban | 4,678,674 | 2,318,412 | — | ↑ +2,360,262 |
| Charles Ergen | 4,648,665 | 4,098,981 | — | ↑ +549,684 |
| Dean Manson | 1,778,399 | 1,578,286 | 1,203,431 | ↑ +200,113 |
| Paul Gaske | 1,671,064 | — | 1,172,147 | — |
Prior-year totals as disclosed in the corresponding proxy; deltas are computed values with the derivation shown in the register.
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Each company listed discloses ECHO in its own benchmarking peer group, as disclosed in each company's most recent proxy statement within the last two proxy seasons. Two companies are therefore absent by design: one that named ECHO in an earlier year and no longer does, and one whose own most recent disclosure is older than the last two seasons.
No insider equity transactions reported since the proxy statement.
| Executive | Award | Grant date | Threshold | Target | Granted | Maximum | Grant-date fair value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamid Akhavan | RSU | 2025-04-01 | — | — | 87 | — | $2,000 |
| Paul Orban | RSU | 2025-10-01 | — | — | 50,000 | — | 3,975,000 |
| Hamid Akhavan | RSU | 2025-01-01 | — | — | 263,158 | — | 6,026,318 |
| Charles W. Ergen | RSU | 2025-04-01 | — | — | 87 | — | 2,000 |
| Paul Gaske | RSU | 2025-04-01 | — | — | 87 | — | 2,000 |
| John Swieringa | RSU | 2025-04-01 | — | — | 87 | — | 2,000 |
| Paul Orban | RSU | 2025-04-01 | — | — | 87 | — | 2,000 |
| John Swieringa | RSU | 2025-06-26 | — | — | 250,000 | — | 6,365,000 |
| Dean Manson | RSU | 2025-04-01 | — | — | 87 | — | 2,000 |
| Paul Gaske | OPTION | 2025-10-01 | — | — | 15,000 | — | 604,292 |
| John Swieringa | OPTION | 2025-10-01 | — | — | 60,000 | — | 2,417,170 |
| Dean Manson | OPTION | 2025-10-01 | — | — | 15,000 | — | 604,292 |
| Named executive officer | Time-vested (RSU) | Performance-vested (PSU) | Options / SARs | % performance-vested |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamid Akhavan | $6,028,318 | $0 | $0 | 0.0% |
| Paul Orban | 3,977,000 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Charles W. Ergen | 2,000 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Paul Gaske | 2,000 | 0 | 604,292 | 0.0% |
| John Swieringa | 6,367,000 | 0 | 2,417,170 | 0.0% |
| Dean Manson | 2,000 | 0 | 604,292 | 0.0% |
% performance-vested = PSU grant-date fair value ÷ (RSU + PSU + Options), a computed value with the derivation shown in the register.
| Executive | Award | Shares unvested | Exercise price | Market value unvested |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Orban | PSU | 50,000 | — | $5,435,000 |
| Dean Manson | Option | 81,700 | 14.04 | — |
| John Swieringa | PSU | 200,000 | — | 21,740,000 |
| Dean Manson | Option | 15,000 | 79.5 | — |
| Paul Orban | Option | 137,153 | 14.04 | — |
| John Swieringa | Option | 60,000 | 79.5 | — |
| John Swieringa | PSU | 70,176 | — | 7,628,131 |
| Hamid Akhavan | Option | 183,751 | 14.04 | — |
| Hamid Akhavan | Option | 233,918 | 16.57 | — |
| John Swieringa | Option | 140,352 | 16.57 | — |
| John Swieringa | Option | 78,171 | 14.04 | — |
| Paul Gaske | Option | 35,781 | 14.04 | — |
| Paul Gaske | Option | 15,000 | 79.5 | — |
EchoStar designs its executive compensation programs to create long-term shareholder value and ensure the company's long-term success by attracting and retaining top talent, reinforcing stock ownership, and emphasizing performance as a basis for compensation. The program aims to align the interests of management and shareholders through equity compensation based on future stock performance and performance-based cash incentives.
| CEO STI target (% of salary) | — |
|---|---|
| CEO LTI target (% of salary) | — |
| Independent consultant | — |
| Clawback policy | true |
| Anti-hedging | true |
| Anti-pledging | true |
| Meeting year | Meeting date | For | Against | Abstain | Support | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2023-04-27 | 493,571,464 | 8,442,894 | 134,558 | 98.32% | Passed |
| 2020 | 2020-04-30 | 515,367,419 | 688,013 | 23,976 | 99.87% | Passed |
| 2017 | 2017-05-02 | 514,916,888 | 666,589 | 12,621 | 99.87% | Passed |
Rows are labeled by annual-meeting year, with the meeting date beside each; the vote held in a given year acts on the prior fiscal year's compensation.
| Meeting year | Meeting date | Approval — company's computation |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2023-04-27 | 98.32%a |
| 2020 | 2020-04-30 | 99.87%b |
| 2017 | 2017-05-02 | 99.87%c |
a. Voting standard not stated in the filing.
b. Voting standard not stated in the filing.
c. Voting standard not stated in the filing.
Approval percentages are the company's own reported computations under its own stated standard, not recomputed by Velarion. Where a company does not state a standard, none is assumed.
| Ratio (CEO : median employee) | 55 : 1 |
|---|---|
| CEO total compensation | $4,648,665 |
| Median employee compensation | $84,476 |
| Director | Cash fees | Stock awards | Option awards | Non-equity incentive | All other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R. Stanton DodgeIndependent · Compensation · Nominating and Governance (Chair) | $75,500 | $0 | $56,448 | $0 | $0 | $131,948 |
| Kathleen Q. AbernathyIndependent · Compensation (Chair) · Nominating and Governance · Not standing for re-election | 75,500 | 0 | 56,448 | 0 | 0 | 131,948 |
| George R. BrokawIndependent · Audit (Chair) · Compensation | 74,500 | 0 | 56,448 | 0 | 0 | 130,948 |
| William D. WadeIndependent · Audit · Nominating and Governance · Not standing for re-election | 71,500 | 0 | 56,448 | 0 | 0 | 127,948 |
| Tom A. OrtolfIndependent · Audit · Nominating and Governance | 70,500 | 0 | 56,448 | 0 | 0 | 126,948 |
| Stephen J. ByeIndependent · Not standing for re-election | 69,000 | 0 | 56,448 | 0 | 0 | 125,448 |
| Lisa W. HershmanIndependent · Compensation · Audit · Not standing for re-election | 68,500 | 0 | 56,448 | 0 | 0 | 124,948 |
| Charles W. ErgenEmployee director · Board Chair | — | — | — | — | — | 0 |
| James DeFrancoEmployee director | — | — | — | — | — | 0 |
| Katherine E. FlynnEmployee director · Partial-year service · Newly elected | — | — | — | — | — | 0 |
| Cantey M. ErgenEmployee director | — | — | — | — | — | 0 |
| William P. WallIndependent · Partial-year service · Newly elected | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Annual cash retainer | $60,000 |
|---|---|
| Annual equity retainer | — |
| Per board meeting fee | $1,000 |
| Committee chair fees (audit / comp / nom-gov) | 5,000 / 5,000 / 5,000 |
| Stock ownership guideline | — |
| Component | FY2025 |
|---|---|
| Cash retainers and fees | $505,000 |
| Equity awards (grant-date value) | $0 |
| All other compensation | $0 |
| Total cost of the board | $505,000 |
Computed as the sum of the director compensation table rows above; inputs and formula shown in the register.
Most recent fiscal-year chief executive compensation at each disclosed peer, taken from that company's own proxy statement.
| Rank | Company | FY | Chief executive | Salary | Stock awards | Option awards | Non-equity incentive | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | EchoStar CORP | 2025 | Charles Ergen | $1,000,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $4,648,665 |
Each peer's compensation is from its most recently filed proxy; fiscal years differ by company. Each peer's figures come from its own filings; the subject company is highlighted. Peers whose chief executive compensation is outside our coverage universe are stated as such, never left blank.
Answers are drawn only from the figures disclosed in this brief and cited to their location in the source filing. Where a figure required for an answer is not disclosed, that is stated rather than estimated.
Each figure's location is given both for the eye (section · page · table · row · column) and for a script (table/row/column index and exact character span in the filed document). Any figure can be independently confirmed against the source.
| # | Supports | Document | Filed | Accession | Location in document |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Section 01, John Swieringa | DEF 14A | 2026-09-18 | 0001104659-26-108960 | Section “Executive Compensation Tables” · page 37. As printed: 10,179,420. Filing ↗machine: r16 · c26 · span 1034903–1034913 |
| 2 | Section 01, Hamid Akhavan | DEF 14A | 2026-09-18 | 0001104659-26-108960 | Section “Executive Compensation Tables” · page 37. As printed: 8,567,712. Filing ↗machine: r12 · c26 · span 1007524–1007533 |
| 3 | Section 01, Paul Orban | DEF 14A | 2026-09-18 | 0001104659-26-108960 | Section “Executive Compensation Tables” · page 37. As printed: 4,678,674. Filing ↗machine: r20 · c26 · span 1062999–1063008 |
| 4 | Section 01, Charles Ergen | DEF 14A | 2026-09-18 | 0001104659-26-108960 | Section “Executive Compensation Tables” · page 37. As printed: 4,648,665. Filing ↗machine: r9 · c25 · span 987071–987080 |
| 5 | Section 01, Dean Manson | DEF 14A | 2026-09-18 | 0001104659-26-108960 | Section “Executive Compensation Tables” · page 37. As printed: 1,778,399. Filing ↗machine: r24 · c26 · span 1091077–1091086 |
| 6 | Section 01, Paul Gaske | DEF 14A | 2026-09-18 | 0001104659-26-108960 | Section “Executive Compensation Tables” · page 37. As printed: 1,671,064. Filing ↗machine: r28 · c26 · span 1118520–1118529 |
| 7 | Section 03, Hamid Akhavan RSU | DEF 14A | 2026-09-18 | 0001104659-26-108960 | Section “Executive Compensation” · grants of plan-based awards table. Filing ↗machine: span 1241979–1241984 |
| 8 | Section 03, Paul Orban RSU | DEF 14A | 2026-09-18 | 0001104659-26-108960 | Section “Executive Compensation” · grants of plan-based awards table. Filing ↗machine: span 1313714–1313723 |
| 9 | Section 03, Hamid Akhavan RSU | DEF 14A | 2026-09-18 | 0001104659-26-108960 | Section “Executive Compensation” · grants of plan-based awards table. Filing ↗machine: span 1234508–1234517 |
| 10 | Section 03, Charles W. Ergen RSU | DEF 14A | 2026-09-18 | 0001104659-26-108960 | Section “Executive Compensation” · grants of plan-based awards table. Filing ↗machine: span 1218089–1218094 |
| 11 | Section 03, Paul Gaske RSU | DEF 14A | 2026-09-18 | 0001104659-26-108960 | Section “Executive Compensation” · grants of plan-based awards table. Filing ↗machine: span 1362091–1362096 |
| 12 | Section 03, John Swieringa RSU | DEF 14A | 2026-09-18 | 0001104659-26-108960 | Section “Executive Compensation” · grants of plan-based awards table. Filing ↗machine: span 1266461–1266466 |
| 13 | Section 03, Paul Orban RSU | DEF 14A | 2026-09-18 | 0001104659-26-108960 | Section “Executive Compensation” · grants of plan-based awards table. Filing ↗machine: span 1305615–1305620 |
| 14 | Section 03, John Swieringa RSU | DEF 14A | 2026-09-18 | 0001104659-26-108960 | Section “Executive Compensation” · grants of plan-based awards table. Filing ↗machine: span 1282097–1282106 |
| 15 | Section 03, Dean Manson RSU | DEF 14A | 2026-09-18 | 0001104659-26-108960 | Section “Executive Compensation” · grants of plan-based awards table. Filing ↗machine: span 1330112–1330117 |
| 16 | Section 03, Paul Gaske OPTION | DEF 14A | 2026-09-18 | 0001104659-26-108960 | Section “Executive Compensation” · grants of plan-based awards table. Filing ↗machine: span 1377724–1377731 |
| 17 | Section 03, John Swieringa OPTION | DEF 14A | 2026-09-18 | 0001104659-26-108960 | Section “Executive Compensation” · grants of plan-based awards table. Filing ↗machine: span 1289629–1289638 |
| 18 | Section 03, Dean Manson OPTION | DEF 14A | 2026-09-18 | 0001104659-26-108960 | Section “Executive Compensation” · grants of plan-based awards table. Filing ↗machine: span 1345751–1345758 |
| 19 | Section 07, pay ratio | DEF 14A | 2026-09-18 | 0001104659-26-108960 | Section “CEO Pay Ratio”. As printed: 55 : 1. Filing ↗ |
| 20 | Section 08, R. Stanton Dodge | DEF 14A | 2026-09-18 | 0001104659-26-108960 | Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 131,948. Filing ↗machine: span 242188–242360 |
| 21 | Section 08, Kathleen Q. Abernathy | DEF 14A | 2026-09-18 | 0001104659-26-108960 | Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 131,948. Filing ↗machine: span 225944–226116 |
| 22 | Section 08, George R. Brokaw | DEF 14A | 2026-09-18 | 0001104659-26-108960 | Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 130,948. Filing ↗machine: span 231220–231392 |
| 23 | Section 08, William D. Wade | DEF 14A | 2026-09-18 | 0001104659-26-108960 | Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 127,948. Filing ↗machine: span 258848–259020 |
| 24 | Section 08, Tom A. Ortolf | DEF 14A | 2026-09-18 | 0001104659-26-108960 | Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 126,948. Filing ↗machine: span 253155–253327 |
| 25 | Section 08, Stephen J. Bye | DEF 14A | 2026-09-18 | 0001104659-26-108960 | Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 125,448. Filing ↗machine: span 236912–237084 |
| 26 | Section 08, Lisa W. Hershman | DEF 14A | 2026-09-18 | 0001104659-26-108960 | Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 124,948. Filing ↗machine: span 247882–248054 |
| 27 | Section 08, Charles W. Ergen | DEF 14A | 2026-09-18 | 0001104659-26-108960 | Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 0. Filing ↗ |
| 28 | Section 08, James DeFranco | DEF 14A | 2026-09-18 | 0001104659-26-108960 | Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 0. Filing ↗ |
| 29 | Section 08, Katherine E. Flynn | DEF 14A | 2026-09-18 | 0001104659-26-108960 | Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 0. Filing ↗ |
| 30 | Section 08, Cantey M. Ergen | DEF 14A | 2026-09-18 | 0001104659-26-108960 | Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: 0. Filing ↗ |
| 31 | Section 08, William P. Wall | DEF 14A | 2026-09-18 | 0001104659-26-108960 | Section “Director Compensation”. As printed: —. Filing ↗ |
| 32 | Section 06, 2023 vote | Form 8-K | 2023-04-28 | 0001104659-23-052951 | Item 5.07 · say-on-pay result. As reported: 98.32% (votes for as printed: 493,571,464). Filing ↗ |
| 33 | Section 06, 2020 vote | Form 8-K | 2020-05-01 | 0001415404-20-000018 | Item 5.07 · say-on-pay result. As reported: 99.87% (votes for as printed: 515,367,419). Filing ↗ |
| 34 | Section 06, 2017 vote | Form 8-K | 2017-05-02 | 0001415404-17-000026 | Item 5.07 · say-on-pay result. As reported: 99.87% (votes for as printed: 514,916,888). Filing ↗ |
| 35 | Section 01 trend, Δ column (computed) | Computed | — | — | Δ = current-FY total − prior-FY total per named officer.machine: formula: Δ = FY(n) − FY(n−1) |
| 36 | Section 03b vehicle mix (computed) | Computed | — | — | RSU / PSU / Options grant-date fair values summed per officer from the grants table; % performance-vested = PSU ÷ (RSU+PSU+Options).machine: formula: sums + PSU ratio |
| 37 | Section 09b board cost (computed) | Computed | — | — | Cash 505,000 + equity 0 + all other 0 = 505,000, summed across the director compensation table rows.machine: formula: Σ = 505,000 |
| 38 | EchoStar CORP (subject), Section 10b CEO total | DEF 14A | 2026-09-18 | 0001104659-26-108960 | CEO total compensation as printed in EchoStar CORP's own proxy. As printed: 4,648,665. Filing ↗machine: r9 · c25 · span 987071–987080 |
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