If that were the case then there's be a handful of extremely successful, extremely high paid executives. Seems to me that high top exectutive wages are being showered pretty indiscriminatingly. Sometimes with above average results, more times not.
There are about 5 million corporations in the U.S. How many of those CEO's are extremely high paid? I'll bet it's no more than a handful. An effective CEO is always in demand because they're hard to find. Some get themselves into situations that can't be fixed while others get on the train as it's picking up speed. Most of them though, have a tough job and they're paid accordingly.
Seems to me that high top exectutive wages are being showered pretty indiscriminatingly
Maybe at some companies at some particular time but your statement would not hold water when a large sampling of corporations is considered. No doubt the Fortune 1,000 companies compensate their top executives very well but they demand a hell of a lot in return and competition is fierce. You'll find that most CEO's run small companies and earn small to mid six-figure salaries. That's not what I would call excessive.