Area Development
According to a new report by the nonprofit Institute for Policy Studies, last year 25 of the 100 biggest American corporations paid their CEOs more than they paid in federal government income taxes.

The Washington, D.C.-based think tank said that the 25 top executives averaged $16.7 million in salary and other forms of 2010 compensation. Most of the companies they led came out ahead at tax time since they collected tax refunds which averaged $304 million (data from review of public filings).

The companies mentioned in the report included Bank of New York Mellon Corp., Boeing Co., Marsh & McLennan Cos., Stanley Black & Decker Inc., eBay Inc., Verizon Communications Inc., Chesapeake Energy Corp., Prudential Financial Inc., General Electric Co., and International Paper Co.