Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella’s total 2025 compensation rose nearly 22% from $79.1 million to almost $96.5 million, due mostly to the company’s booming share price boosting the value of his stock awards.

The numbers were disclosed Tuesday afternoon in the company’s annual proxy statement, along with details on Microsoft board changes, shareholder proposals raising concerns about AI risks, and a request from the board for shareholders to approve a new stock plan.

Microsoft’s board nominated Walmart CFO John David Rainey as a new board member, to replace Carlos Rodriguez, current chair of the compensation committee, who is not seeking re-election.

The company’s 2025 fiscal year ended June 30. In evaluating Nadella’s performance, the board cited his work leading the expansion of the company’s AI infrastructure, Microsoft Copilot adoption and new security initiatives. 

Much of Nadella’s total compensation — about $84.2 million — is based on the performance of the company’s stock, which has risen more than 23% in the past year, at one point pushing Microsoft’s total market value briefly past $4 trillion. 

His cash incentive bonus was $9.56 million, up from the $5.2 million paid in 2024, after he requested a reduction. The proxy statement said the increase reflected strong financial results (117% of target) and a high operational assessment (151.67% of target).

For the first time, security was used as one measuring stick for Microsoft executive compensation, part of an effort by the company to appease regulators and lawmakers after a series of high-profile breaches. In its review, the board focused on Nadella’s role in attempting to address these issues through the implementation of its Secure Future Initiative. 

In addition, Microsoft’s board is asking shareholders to approve a 2026 Stock Plan to replace the expiring 2017 plan, requesting authorization for up to 226 million new shares that it says is needed to continue granting equity awards for attracting and retaining talent.

Nadella recently appointed veteran executive Judson Althoff as CEO of Microsoft’s commercial business, a move designed to free Nadella to focus more intensely on long-term AI strategy and technology.

Microsoft’s annual meeting, held virtually, is slated for 8:30 a.m. Dec. 5.

We already know that the next-gen Xbox console isn’t locked to a single store, will use an AMD chip inside, and will maintain compatibility with an existing library of Xbox games. Now, Microsoft appears to be teasing that the next-gen Xbox will be some type of hybrid console and PC.

Xbox president Sarah Bond sat down with Mashable this week to discuss the latest Xbox Ally X handheld, and dropped some vague hints about Microsoft’s next-gen Xbox console. When asked about rumors that the next-gen Xbox console will be more like a gaming PC, Bond appeared to agree. “I can tell you you’re right, that the next-gen console is going to be a very premium, very high-end curated experience,” said Bond. “You’re starting to see some of the thinking we have in this handheld, but I don’t want to give it all away.”

I’ve been writing for more than a year that the next Xbox console will be more PC-like, and that the Xbox Ally devices are an early look at what’s to come. Bond’s latest comments are subtle, but they once again line up with her previous promise of delivering an “Xbox experience not locked to a single store or tied to one device,” and prioritizing Windows. “That’s why we’re working closely with the Windows team to ensure that Windows is the number one platform for gaming,” said Bond in June, while announcing a multi-year partnership with AMD for a portfolio of Xbox devices.

I’m convinced that Microsoft’s next-gen Xbox console will be powered by Windows and be part of a number of devices from third parties that Microsoft also considers Xbox consoles. A $1,000 Xbox Ally X handheld tests the appetite for pricey next-gen consoles, and it may well also test the appetite for a combination of Xbox and Windows. Perhaps that’s what Bond means when she says the next-gen Xbox will deliver “the largest technical leap you will have ever seen in a hardware generation.”

JetBrains’ latest State of Developer Ecosystem report shows Microsoft’s TypeScript leading the firm’s “Promise Index,” a measure of programming languages with the highest potential for future growth--topping Rust, Go, and Kotlin in projected momentum and user loyalty.

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CSS provides a variety of services for web content:

• In the previous chapter, we used it to format content: to change colors, typefaces, etc.
• In this chapter, we will use it to lay out content: to place HTML elements on a page.