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  5. GFL: Can you explain why GFL CEO compensation is so much more than WCN and WM? [GFL Environmental Inc. subordinate voting shares]
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Q: Can you explain why GFL CEO compensation is so much more than WCN and WM?

company CEO Annual pay Market CAP
GFL Dovigi $49.2m $15.2 B
WCN Mittelstae $ 7.3m $ 43.1B
WM Fish $17.1m $ 88 B

When would you expect these companies to perform better? Of the three which would you recommend today?
Asked by Kat on January 14, 2026
5i Research Answer:

GFL's smaller revenue base of USD 7.86 billion contrasts with WM's USD 22 billion and WCN's USD 8.92 billion, yet its CEO pay dwarfs peers due to heavy reliance on equity awards. The majority of the $49M ($47M) was equity-based, with options and shares vesting over time but considered part of total compensation. The company does not get into specific reasons but smaller and growing companies do tend to lean towards non-cash compensation such as this more often. In terms of performance, perfomance is flattish, probably due to the 'risk on' mentality of other sectors. Waste is not exciting enough, essentially. Stocks will likely do better when the market backdrop changes somewhat. The stocks are not particularly cheap, which also hurts. We would side with WCN today.