Tyson Foods’ boss sees a more than 50% pay raise in fiscal 2025

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by Kim Souza ([email protected]) ago 33 views 

Tyson Foods’ CEO Donnie King and Chief Financial Officer Curt Calaway were paid well despite a more than $1 billion loss in the beef segment business, according to a Dec. 17 filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

King said in the company’s recent earnings call that other segments of the business, such as chicken and prepared foods, are performing as well as he has seen in his three decades with the company. The company also reduced its top management team to three executives, down from five in previous years, consolidating the oversight of all the company’s operating segments under the chief operating officer’s duties.

Devin Cole was promoted to chief operating officer in 2025, and there is no salary history for him in the report. For the time that Cole served in his new position in 2025, his base pay totaled $924,039. He was also awarded $2.757 million and $750,000 in stock and option pay. He picked up a cash bonus of $2.739 million and another $378,908 in other compensation for total earnings of $7.559 million in fiscal 2025.

King, 63, saw a bump in his base pay of 14% in fiscal 2025 to $1.662 million. His bonus pay also increased 56% to $9.401 million. King’s stock and option awards also increased to add $19.584 million and $2.943 million to his total earnings. Other compensation totaled $777,795, which included tax payment, life insurance premiums, retirement savings contributions and use of the company aircraft. King’s total compensation equaled $34.469 million for last year., an increase of 51.3% from his total compensation in 2024.

Donnie King

Fiscal 2025 was Calaway’s first full year as chief financial officer. He received a 33% annual pay bump in his base salary to $687,000. His cash performance bonus pay totaled $1.737 million, up more than 40% year over year. Higher stock and option pay totaling $2.94 million and $675,000. His other compensation added $350,746 to his total earnings. For the year, Calaway’s total compensation was $6.39 million, up from $2.174 million for his partial year in 2024.

Board Chair John H. Tyson received an annual bonus of $5.886 million, while his base pay of $1.212 million remained stable with the past two years. Tyson, 72, earned total compensation of $17.524 million in fiscal 2025, down from $18.404 million the previous year as his deferred compensation pay in stocks and options, which are based on performance, were lower than a year ago.

Tyson Foods Chief Legal Officer Adam Deckinger was also a top-five earner in 2025. His base pay equaled $737,000, and bonus pay was $1.997 million. With stock and other compensation, his total compensation totaled $5.392 million for the year.

Two other top earners last year are no longer employed by Tyson Foods. Wes Morris, who ran Tyson’s chicken business from early 2024 through 2025, retired. His base pay increased to $825,462, and his bonus pay was higher at $1.872 million. The total compensation, which included stock, options and other perquisites, was valued at $6.623 million for the year, above the $5.976 million in 2024.

Brady Stewart, who ran Tyson’s beef and pork business and oversaw the supply chain, was ousted from the company with cause in late 2025. He earned a base salary of $891,308 for the time he served. He did not receive a bonus, and his stock and option awards added $2.714 million and $825,000 more to his compensation. He was also awarded $2.169 million in executive severance pay effective March 6, 2026. Stewart’s total compensation for last year was valued at $6.704, up from $6.673 million that he earned in the prior year.

OTHER PROXY MATTERS
The company’s annual shareholder meeting is slated for 10 a.m., Feb. 5, at the company’s offices located at 2008 S. Thompson St., in Springdale.

Shareholders are set to vote on a slate of 16 directors to its board for a one-year term. Those standing for election include: Chairman John Tyson, Les Baledge, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe, Sarah Bond, Maria Claudia Borras, David Bronczek, King, Maria Martinez, Cheryl Miller, Kate Quinn, Barbara Tyson, John R. Tyson, Olivia Tyson, and Noel White.

Shareholders will also vote on three proposals from independent stockowners. One is a proposal to disclose vote totals by share class to the public. The company’s dual class system gives the Tyson family a 10 to 1 vote advantage for their class B shares which total more than 70 million shares compared to 283 million class A shares owned by public investors. Shareholders also want Tyson Foods to report on environmental and human health impacts from its waste lagoons associated with its poultry operations. They also want a report on the impact from recent immigration changes and the impact that could have on company finances.

Tyson Foods is asking shareholders to vote against the independent proposals.

The company is asking shareholders to approve proposals to elect the directors and to ratify the selection of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLC as the company’s registered accounting firm for the year ending Oct. 6, 2026. The company also wants to amend its 2000 Stock Incentive Plan for executive compensation and approve the company’s executive compensation outlined in the proxy.