A major upheaval in the ranks of CEO pay: Wells Fargo's John Stumpf unseated Goldman's CEO Lloyd Blankfein as the best paid finance CEO in 2009, raking in $21.3 million, according to Bloomberg. Stumpf's 2009 take-home was double what he earned in 2008.
Blankfein and Berkshire chief Warren Buffet are sitting side by side in the ranking tables; Blankfein, who was numero uno in 2008, fell to No. 48, and Warren Buffet is 49. Citigroup's Vikram Pandit brings up the rear, with a much publicized $1 in salary.
According to pay czar Kenneth Feinberg, Wall Street's head honchos are hoping the lower compensation will shield them from public outrage about the government's bailout of banks. Overall, pay for the highest-ranking financial executives has declined -- average compensation fell 21% in 2009.