George Kurtz is the CEO and co-founder of CrowdStrike Holdings, Inc., a top player in the cybersecurity arena. His journey in tech began with a degree in Business Administration from UC Berkeley. Since starting CrowdStrike in 2011, he has played a crucial role in shaping its growth, making it public in 2019. In 2023, Kurtz earned a total compensation of about $2.15 million, which includes a base salary of $900,000 and a performance bonus tied to the company’s success. Notably, in 2022, he saw over $105 million from the vesting of stock options due to the company’s robust performance. Kurtz holds a significant amount of stock in CrowdStrike, demonstrating his commitment to the company’s future. With substantial voting power through shares held in family trusts, he firmly influences the company's strategic directions. In a unique twist, Kurtz participates in marketing by driving a CrowdStrike-branded racing car. His leadership reflects a solid grasp of the tech landscape and an ability to align personal success with the company's achievements, making him a fascinating figure in cybersecurity and business.

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George Kurtz

Founder and CEO of CrowdStrike Holdings, Inc.

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from the University of California, Berkeley.

Field of Expertise

Technology & Engineering - Technology

Sector of Economy

Technology

Born

January 1, 1976 - 49 years ago

CEO of CrowdStrike Holdings, Inc. for

14 years 2 months (Feb 2011 - Present)

Previous Experience

Co-founder of CrowdStrike Holdings, Inc. and served as the Chief Technology Officer prior to becoming CEO.

Rivals

Competitors/colleagues of George Kurtz

Nikesh Arora

CEO of Palo Alto Networks, Inc.

2022 Compensation

Stock

$0.00

Salary

$750.00K

Bonus

$1.50M

Other

$3.80M

Total Holdings

$1.30B

Mark Zuckerberg

Founder and CEO of Meta Platforms, Inc.

2022 Compensation

Stock

$0.00

Salary

$1.00

Bonus

$0.00

Other

$27.11M

Total Holdings

$207.33B

Jay Chaudhry

Founder and CEO of Zscaler

2022 Compensation

Stock

$41.51M

Salary

$23.66K

Bonus

$0.00

Other

$0.00

Total Holdings

$513.27M

Todd McKinnon

Founder and CEO of Okta, Inc.

2023 Compensation

Stock

$9.55M

Salary

$306.00K

Bonus

$169.07K

Other

$0.00

Total Holdings

$15.29M

Matthew Prince

Founder and CEO of Cloudflare, Inc.

2023 Compensation

Stock

$18.33M

Salary

$400.00K

Bonus

$0.00

Other

$783.96K

Total Holdings

$51.04M

Tomer Weingarten

Founder and CEO of SentinelOne

2023 Compensation

Stock

$0.00

Salary

$600.00K

Bonus

$660.00K

Other

$229.28K

Total Holdings

$18.39M

Holdings

See how much did George Kurtz make over time.

George Kurtz has a major stake in CrowdStrike, owning approximately 18 million Class B shares, which equates to about 27.5% of the total voting power. His wealth in CrowdStrike stocks peaked when the company went public in 2019. Since then, he's maintained a strong ownership position, showing confidence in the firm's prospects. In 2022, he had a major windfall of over $105 million from stock vesting resulting from CrowdStrike's continuous growth. Despite fluctuations in the market, Kurtz has demonstrated significant resilience, continuing to hold a considerable amount of his wealth in shares, emphasizing his long-term commitment to the company. His holdings have consistently been valued in the range of several hundreds of millions, with the current value of his shares being affected by the company's stock performance.

Mar 11, 2025

CRWD @ $330.99

HPE @ $15.33

Total Stock Sold

$601.69M

CRWD

$601.69M

4,996,123 CRWD shares

What if they kept their stock?

If George Kurtz didn't sell their stock, today they would have:
Extra CRWD4,996,123 shares worth $301.37M.
This is -49.91% and $300.32M less than what they got when they sold the stock.

Charitable Transactions

CRWD

17,418,540 shares

CRWD

Recent Charitable Transactions

CRWD

2,000,000 shares

CRWD

Jan 8, 2025

Charity

CRWD

1,001,000 shares

CRWD

Dec 11, 2024

Charity

CRWD

365,470 shares

CRWD

Oct 10, 2024

Charity

CRWD

365,470 shares

CRWD

Oct 10, 2024

Charity

CRWD

100,000 shares

CRWD

Jul 12, 2024

Charity

CRWD

40,250 shares

CRWD

Dec 12, 2023

Charity

Insider Trading

See recent insider trades of George Kurtz.

CRWD

40,966 shares

CRWD

Feb 28, 2025

Received

CRWD

2,000,000 shares

CRWD

Jan 8, 2025

Charity

CRWD

$6.52M

CRWD at $360.57/share

Dec 23, 2024

Sale

CRWD

1,001,000 shares

CRWD

Dec 11, 2024

Charity

CRWD

365,470 shares

CRWD

Oct 10, 2024

Charity

CRWD

365,470 shares

CRWD

Oct 10, 2024

Charity

CRWD

365,470 shares

CRWD

Oct 10, 2024

Charity

CRWD

100,000 shares

CRWD

Jul 12, 2024

Charity

CRWD

$20.91M

CRWD at $376.16/share

Jun 21, 2024

Sale

CRWD

$17.08M

CRWD at $303.58/share

May 3, 2024

Sale

Compensation History

See how much did George Kurtz make over time.

In 2023, George Kurtz received a total compensation of $2,146,344, which included a base salary of $900,000 and a bonus of $1,037,307, tied to strict performance metrics like operational income and customer retention. These performance-based bonuses are a key part of his earnings, ensuring his pay is closely linked with CrowdStrike's success. In prior years, particularly in 2022, his compensation was significantly boosted by stock vesting, amounting to a staggering $105 million. Kurtz's pay strategy is designed to motivate him and align his interests with shareholders, a common practice in successful tech firms. His compensation also includes additional perks such as private aircraft usage and security costs, reflecting the responsibilities and risks associated with being a leading CEO in the high-stakes tech industry.

Year

2023

Total Compensation

$3.15M

Salary

$900.00K

Board Justification

CrowdStrike's compensation philosophy for the CEO in 2023 focused on aligning pay with company performance and shareholder interests. The compensation structure emphasized performance-based incentives and long-term equity awards to motivate and retain top executive talent.

Bonus

$1.04M

Board Justification

The bonus for George Kurtz in 2023 was based on the Corporate Incentive Plan (CIP), which included performance metrics such as non-GAAP operating income, net new annual recurring revenue (ARR), and net retention rate. The bonus was calculated as 125% of his base salary, with a payout of 104.6% of the target based on performance achievements.

Other

$1.21M

Board Justification

Other compensation includes supplementary benefits such as life and disability insurance, executive supplemental health benefits, 401(k) match, personal security costs, and personal usage of private aircraft.

Restricted Stock

$0.00(0 common stock)

Board Justification

No stock vested in 2023 as per the provided proxy statement.

Performance Metrics

The performance metrics for determining George Kurtz's compensation in 2023 included non-GAAP operating income, net new ARR, and net retention rate, which were part of the Corporate Incentive Plan (CIP).