Critics have charged that compensation to top management in the United States is simply too high and should be cut back. For example, focusing on large corporations, Ray Iraniof Occidental Petroleum has been one of the best compensated CEOs in the United States, earning about $223 million in 2008 alone and $744 million over the 2004 - 2008 period. Are such amounts excessive? In answering, it might be helpful to recognize that superstar athletes such as Tiger Woods, top people in entertainment such as Oprah Winfrey and Jerry Bruckheimer, and many others at the peak of their respective fields can earn at least as much, if not a great deal more.