The 16 highest-paid CEOs in the world of banking

LONDON — Banking excesses may have been toned down since the financial crisis, with expense accounts capped, exuberant trading activities curtailed, and leverage ratios increasing.

Some bankers, however, are still able to make a killing in the industry, and bank CEOs can still earn as much as £20 million ($26.2 million) a year in salaries, bonuses, and stock awards.

In a recent article, the Financial Times looked into the total compensation packages of bosses at the world's biggest banks, compiling data from the annual reports of major lenders around the world.

Understandably, the best-paid CEOs tend to work for major US banks, which have the largest balance sheets and most customers and are generally among the biggest on the planet.

The five best-paid bosses all work for US lenders, while a further American boss makes the list. Outside the US, five work for British banks, two for Swiss lenders, two for Canadian banks, and one for Spain's biggest bank, Santander.

All 20 of the best-paid CEOs are men, while 19 are white men, with Credit Suisse boss Tidjane Thiam the only black member on the list.

Check out the best-paid bosses below:

16. Ross McEwan, RBS — $7 million (£5.4 million)

15. Jose Antonio Alvarez, Santander — $7.2 million (£5.5 million)

14. William Downe, Bank of Montreal — $7.3 million (£5.6 million)

T12. David McKay, Royal Bank of Canada — $7.6 million (£5.8 million)

T12. Bill Winters, Standard Chartered — $7.6 million (£5.8 million)

11. Tidjane Thiam, Credit Suisse — $9.9 million (£7.6 million)

10. Jes Staley, Barclays — $10.2 million (£7.8 million)

9. Antonio Horta-Osorio, Lloyds Banking Group — $10.3 million (£7.9 million)

8. Tim Sloan, Wells Fargo — $12.9 million (£9.9 million)

7. Stuart Gulliver, HSBC — $13.1 million (£10.1 million)