The chief executives at Palantir, which scoops up data for the government, and Veeva Systems, a cloud-computing company, topped two lists of the highest-paid C.E.O.s.

Beating Wall Street’s profit expectations is hard enough. Chief executives of major U.S. companies must also deal with issues like tariffs, climate change and diversity, equity and inclusion, with the Trump administration constantly changing the rules of the game.

Being C.E.O. is a tough gig, no question. But the pay? It’s fabulous.

And it’s so much better than what the rank-and-file will ever get. These days, it’s particularly lucrative to be the C.E.O. of a company with government security ties, corporate executive compensation filings show.

Take Alex Karp. He’s the chief executive of Palantir Technologies, a data analysis and technology firm that has been in the news for helping the Trump administration collect and compile personal information on millions of Americans. Palantir also works for the U.S. military, police

Keep reading this article on The New York Times Your Money.