CEO Earned R322 Million Over 3 Years Running SAB's Parent Company

• AB InBev CEO Michel Doukeris averaged R294,900 per day in remuneration between 2023 and 2025
• The Brazilian executive took the top job in 2021 after 25 years of climbing the ranks at the world's largest beer company
• Most of Doukeris' earnings came from performance bonuses, not his base salary, with one year hitting R126 million

The man behind the world's biggest beer company quietly pocketed R322.89 million over three years. That works out to roughly R294,900 every single day. Michel Doukeris, the global CEO of AB InBev, earned that sum between 2023 and 2025, according to an analysis of the company's remuneration reports by BusinessTech.

AB InBev is the parent company of South African Breweries (SAB), home to Castle Lager, Carling Black Label and Hansa Pilsener, brands found in virtually every South African fridge and tavern.

Who Is Michel Doukeris?

Doukeris is a 52-year-old Brazilian businessman who has spent nearly his entire career at AB InBev. He joined the company in 1996 and worked his way through leadership roles across Latin America, China, Asia Pacific and North America before being appointed CEO in July 2021, succeeding long-serving chief Carlos Brito.

Read also

Karooooo founder Zak Calisto rejoins South Africa's dollar-billionaire club

He studied chemical engineering at the Federal University of Santa Catarina in Brazil, completed a master's degree at Fundação Getulio Vargas, and later attended executive programmes at the Wharton School and Kellogg School of Management in the United States.

AB InBev became the dominant force in South African brewing after its $107 billion acquisition of SABMiller in 2016, a deal that brought SAB under its global umbrella. SAB's roots stretch back to Charles Glass's Castle Brewery in the late 19th century.

How his pay breaks down

According to Business Tech, his remuneration was not a flat, guaranteed figure. The bulk of what Doukeris earned came from annual bonuses tied to company and individual performance targets covering revenue growth, profitability and sustainability goals.

In 2023, his total remuneration reached R101.95 million after the company partially met its targets, earning him a bonus of approximately $4.54 million. His biggest year came in 2024, when AB InBev exceeded its financial goals at 118% of its aggregated targets. That pushed his total earnings to R126.61 million for the year, with a bonus of approximately $5.92 million.

Read also

“My 40% tax gone”: SA umipressed with Gayton McKenzie’s FIFA World Cup spend breakdown

3 Other Briefly News stories about CEOs

• Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos name-dropped The Polygamist during the company's recent Q2 2026 earnings interview.
• Karooooo founder Zak Calisto crossed the dollar-billionaire threshold again as his stake in the company surpassed $1 billion.
• Sherie de Wet launched Palesa Pads after witnessing the struggles many girls face when trying to access menstrual products.

Source: Briefly News