Seven CEOs Who Earn It

6. General Dynamics' Nicholas Chabraja

Nicholas Chabraja doesn't talk to the media much. But he doesn't need to: General Dynamics'(GD) performance does the talking for him. The 59-year-old former lawyer joined General Dynamics after successfully defending the company in a government lawsuit in 1992, quickly ascending to the CEO post in 1997. Like other aerospace-defense companies, General Dynamics has been a benefactor of President Bush's military spending increase, but Chabraja's company stands out among its peers. Its 19.4% return on equity more than doubles the industry average. While the company has had some problems in its shipbuilding operations, its balance sheet is nearly debt free, and the company's cash hoard may get put to good use in the coming year. The company's stock also is cheaper than that of many of its peers on a P/E basis. General Dynamics' performance speaks volumes, and it says that Chabraja is the best executive in his industry.

7. Sonic's Clifford Hudson

It's not every day that a CEO gets put in charge of a fund to protect investors when a failed brokerage firm is liquidated. But not every CEO is like Sonic's(SONC) Clifford Hudson. Hudson, the 47-year-old chief of this Oklahoma City-based drive-in restaurant chain, counts among his career highlights his presidential appointment in 1994 as chairman of the Securities Investor Protection Corp. Investors may find his 17-year tenure at Sonic, including seven as president and CEO, even more notable. In the past five years, Sonic's annual sales have doubled to more than $2 billion, while annual earnings growth exceeds 20%. Sonic's expansion plans -- adding 200 restaurants this year to its 2,400-strong chain, pushing into 21 new states -- should help it meet its 18%-20% earnings growth targets. Meanwhile, the company gets high marks for branding, customer loyalty and employee training and retention.

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