How Cotton was paid
$1.9M 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.
Named executive officers
| Executive | Salary | Bonus | Stock | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stephen CottonPresident and Chief Executive Officer | $511,000 | $610,000 | $729,000 | $19,000 | $1,869,000 |
| Eric WestChief Financial Officer | $173,000 | $197,000 | $286,000 | $10,000 | $666,000 |
| Benjamin TaeckerChief Engineering and Operating Officer | $308,000 | $271,000 | $210,000 | $17,000 | $806,000 |
What changed and why
- $1.9M$1,869,000 was CEO total compensation in 2025, versus $1,460,000 in 2024.
- $729K$729,000 was the CEO's 2025 stock-award compensation, versus $568,000 in 2024.
- $610K$610,000 was the CEO's 2025 bonus, versus $358,000 in 2024.
- 100%100% and 200% of base salary were the CEO's short- and long-term incentive bonus targets.
- 2025 grants included CEO RSUs settling in six equal semi-annual installments over three years.
- TSR and stock-price hurdles determined vesting for certain performance stock units.
Other Aqua Metals proxy statements
- 2025 proxy statement
Stephen Cotton paid $1.5M (-41% on the year).
Filed Jun 23, 2025
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.