Well, this is exactly why he has a big salary. For that type of...

Well, this is exactly why he has a big salary. For that type of company, CEO have their name tied up to the technology they are trying to commercialise, therefore their reputation is also tied up to that technology.

Accumulating a good salary enable to remain "covered" if the company/product never takes off. It is a strategy that has been seen before hence the following investment checklist question; does the CEO like the money or the business more?

Don't get me wrong, some CEO don't think that way and put all their eggs in shares and takes a very small salary sometimes as low as $1.

This detail might be insignificant to us but it has its impact on the CEO mindset. Food for thought.