Aardvark Therapeutics (AARD) executive compensation, 2026 proxy

Tien-Li Lee, M.D., Chief Executive Officer, was paid $6.1M in 2025, up 569% from $906,322 the year before.

Filed
July 10, 2026
Annual meeting
August 14, 2026
Pay year
2025
Named executives
3
CEO total pay
$6.1M+569% vs prior year
2025 corporate goal achievement
100%Target bonuses awarded
CEO target bonus
55%Following IPO
Sun target bonus
40%Following IPO
Jaiman target bonus
40%Following IPO
CEO 2025 option grant
549,534 shares$11.29 exercise price

How M.D. was paid

$6.1M in total for 2025, as reported in the Summary Compensation Table. Equity awards are valued at grant, not at what they turned out to be worth.

Salary10%Option awards84%Non-equity incentive6%

Named executive officers

ExecutiveTotal
Tien-Li Lee, M.D.Chief Executive Officer$6,066,684
Nelson SunChief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer$2,547,946
Manasi Jaiman, M.D., M.P.H.Chief Medical Officer$1,870,053

What changed and why

  • $6.1M$6.1M was CEO total compensation in 2025, up from $906,322 in 2024, primarily reflecting higher option awards.
  • 100%100% of 2025 corporate goals were achieved, resulting in named executives receiving bonuses at their respective target levels.
  • $5.1M$5.1M was CEO option-award grant-date fair value in 2025, compared with $203,223 in 2024.
  • 55%55% became the CEO’s annual target bonus percentage after the IPO, up from 40% previously.
  • $11.29$11.29 was the exercise price for the June 2025 option grants, which vest monthly over 48 months.
  • The Severance Plan provides 12 months of salary, target bonus, benefits, and accelerated equity vesting after qualifying change-in-control terminations.

About this page

Figures are automated and can be wrong; check the filing for the exact numbers. Totals follow SEC rules, which value stock and option awards at grant. Read the DEF 14A proxy statement for footnotes and the compensation committee's full reasoning.