Disney CEO Iger sees 2012 pay rise to $37.1M

The Walt Disney Co. also cited Iger's leadership in the $4.06 billion acquisition of "Star Wars" creator Lucasfilm, along with the launch of theme park additions, cruise ships and the expansion of the Disney Channel overseas.

Iger, 61, saw the biggest jump in pay from the value of new stock option awards, which hit $7.8 million in 2012, up from $4.8 million in 2011, according to a regulatory filing Friday. Stock award grants valued at $9.5 million were above the $8.1 million he received a year earlier.

He also received incentive pay of $16.5 million, up from $15.5 million, while his salary rose to $2.5 million from $2 million. Other compensation for security and personal air travel came to $800,700, down from $962,932 a year earlier.

The company as a whole grew revenue 3 percent to $42.3 billion for the fiscal year through September. Net income rose 18 percent to $5.7 billion, while earnings per share grew 24 percent to $3.13.

Among other ways of tracking the company's success, Disney said Iger helped deliver outstanding total shareholder return, which measures both stock-price gains and dividends. On that measure, the company provided a 76 percent gain to shareholders, compared to a 67 percent gain by its media industry peers and a 30 percent return for companies in the S&P 500.