Not only do you have to deal with the daily pressures of running a company, you have to find a place to park your jet. Consider the plight of Larry Ellison, CEO of software giant Oracle. Whether it's finding a runway or hiring an accomplished chaffeur for their Bentley, many CEOs have problems that most average people would consider unique. In fact, today's corporate chieftains have more money than ever to spend. But there's no disputing that last year's CEOs are the cream of that group.
Some people crave an eight-figure paycheck simply to feel good about themselves.
America's money-obsessed culture feeds that desire. Many people, CEOs included, judge themselves relative to their peers. Making money can even become an addiction, displacing something else that's eating away inside a person, Pollack adds. He recently worked with one 40-something executive who had made millions in the software business. When asked why he persisted in accruing more and more, the executive told Pollack that he was afraid of what he might discover about himself if he stopped.