The chief executive of Charter Communications Christopher Winfrey saw total compensation last year of just over $89 million, inflated by $75 million in option awards.

Winfrey was promoted to CEO, from COO, in December of 2022, succeeding Tom Rutledge, who stayed on as executive chair until retiring last November and received a package worth $19 million for 2023 (down from $39 million the previous year).

Winfrey had a base salary of $1.7 million, stock awards of $8.7 million and non-equity incentive plan compensation (cash bonus) of $3.5 million. His pay last year totaled $15.6 million.

The options vest over time and with stock price hurdles. Charter’s proxy statement filed with the SEC said the lowest for Winfrey’s awards is $564. The shares closed Monday at $279, down from a 52-week high of $458 in a difficult time for media and traditional cable bundles. In an innovative carriage deal with Disney last fall, Charter Spectrum — the no. 2 U.S. cable network — was...