Sundar PichaiSundar Pichai earned $164M in 2023

Leon J. Topalian is the CEO of Nucor Corporation, known for his deep understanding of the steel industry. He took over as CEO in January 2020 after a successful career at Nucor that began in 1996. His background includes roles...

Quick Links
N

Leon J. Topalian

CEO of Nucor

Education

Not specified

Field of Expertise

Business & Management

Sector of Economy

Basic Materials

Born

August 23, 1968 - 56 years ago

CEO of Nucor for

5 years 4 months (Jan 2020 - Present)

Previous Experience

Served as Executive Vice President from 2017 to 2019 and Vice President from 2013 to 2017.

Holdings

See how much did Leon J. Topalian make over time.

Leon J. Topalian has demonstrated a significant commitment to Nucor Corporation through his substantial stock holdings. His wealth in company holdings peaked at around $64 million in August 2023, reflecting strong performance in the stock market. Since he started as...

Mar 17, 2025

Total Stock Sold

$28.05M

NUE

$28.05M

237,978 NUE shares

What if they kept their stock?

If Leon J. Topalian didn't sell their stock, today they would have:
Extra NUE237,978 shares worth $9.64M.
This is -65.64% and $18.41M less than what they got when they sold the stock.

Charitable Transactions

NUE

16,745 shares

NUE

Recent Charitable Transactions

NUE

9,000 shares

NUE

Nov 6, 2024

Charity

NUE

6,000 shares

NUE

Jun 17, 2022

Charity

NUE

865 shares

NUE

Aug 10, 2021

Charity

NUE

880 shares

NUE

Apr 26, 2019

Charity

Insider Trading

See recent insider trades of Leon J. Topalian.

NUE

31,274 shares

NUE

Feb 17, 2025

Received

NUE

9,000 shares

NUE

Nov 6, 2024

Charity

NUE

$1.86M

NUE at $169.11/share

Nov 6, 2024

Sale

NUE

41,456 shares

NUE

Jun 1, 2024

Received

NUE

$703.12K

NUE at $185.82/share

Mar 10, 2024

Received

NUE

31,960 shares

NUE

Feb 19, 2024

Received

NUE

$3.01M

NUE at $182.28/share

Feb 6, 2024

Sale

NUE

$2.65M

NUE at $176.43/share

Dec 18, 2023

Sale

NUE

$4.60M

NUE at $168.19/share

Jul 27, 2023

Sale

NUE

$7.00M

NUE at $133.03/share

Jun 1, 2023

Received

Compensation History

See how much did Leon J. Topalian make over time.

In 2023, Leon J. Topalian's total compensation was about $3.49 million. His base salary accounted for $1.5 million, emphasizing a focus on performance-based rewards that align with company success. Notably, he did not receive additional bonuses since the compensation structure at Nucor is designed around annual and long-term performance plans, linking his pay directly to the company's financial health. The lack of stock options and grants in 2023 suggests a shift towards more direct performance-based metrics, such as return on equity. His previous years show a range of compensation, peaking at about $5.9 million in 2021, driven by an annual incentive plan that could award up to 400% of his base salary based on performance metrics. This illustrates a strong commitment to rewarding results while still securing his financial future through retirement plans and other incentives.

Year

2023

Total Compensation

$3.49M

Salary

$1.50M

Board Justification

Nucor's compensation philosophy emphasizes pay-for-performance, aligning executive compensation with company performance and stockholder interests.

Bonus

$0.00

Board Justification

No bonus was reported for 2023 as the focus was on performance-based compensation through the Annual Incentive Plan and Long-Term Incentive Plan.

Other

$1.99M

Board Justification

Other compensation includes contributions to the Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan and matching contributions to the 401(k) plan.

Restricted Stock

$0.00(0 RSU)

Board Justification

No stock grants were reported as vested in 2023; the focus was on performance-based RSUs and stock options that are not included in total compensation calculations.

Performance Metrics

Performance metrics for 2023 included return on equity (ROE) and return on average invested capital (ROAIC) relative to comparator groups.

Other Nucor CEOs

Here are other CEOs of Nucor