Austin Russell is the CEO of Luminar Technologies, having guided the company through pivotal growth phases since its early days. He graduated from Stanford University with a B.S. in Engineering Physics, which reflects his strong technical background. After joining Luminar...

Austin Russell is the CEO of Luminar Technologies, having guided the company through pivotal growth phases since its early days. He graduated from Stanford University with a B.S. in Engineering Physics, which reflects his strong technical background. After joining Luminar in 2017, Russell witnessed the company emerge as a leader in the advanced sensor systems market. In 2023, he received total compensation of $3.85 million, but this figure doesn't tell the whole story about his commitment to the company as most of his wealth is tied to stock performance, underscoring his belief in Luminar’s vision. His approach to compensation places significant importance on aligning executives' pay with company performance metrics. As for insider trading, in 2023 alone, he saw fluctuations of his holdings between $17.99 million and $32.75 million. There’s a lot to note here, especially his strategic moves; for instance, he sold over $30 million worth of stock in June 2023, indicative of changes in his personal strategy as well as company dynamics. Russell’s career is a testament to how dedication and engineering expertise can drive innovation in a fast-moving industry, and he remains pivotal in steering Luminar toward its goals.

Quick Links

1. Rivals

2. Holdings

3. Insider Trading

4. Compensation History

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Austin Russell

Founder and CEO of Luminar Technologies

Education

Thiel Fellowship, Stanford University (Applied Physics)

Field of Expertise

Technology & Engineering - Engineering

Sector of Economy

Consumer Cyclical

Born

March 14, 1995 - 30 years ago

CEO of Luminar Technologies for

4 years 5 months (Dec 2020 - Present)

Previous Experience

Founder and CEO of Legacy Luminar

Rivals

Competitors/colleagues of Austin Russell

Holdings

See how much did Austin Russell make over time.

Austin Russell's insider trading history reveals significant volatility in his stock portfolio, especially in 2023. In January 2023, his holdings valued around $5.85 million, modest compared to what was noted for June 2023, where he peaked at about $30.99 million....

Austin Russell's insider trading history reveals significant volatility in his stock portfolio, especially in 2023. In January 2023, his holdings valued around $5.85 million, modest compared to what was noted for June 2023, where he peaked at about $30.99 million. His trading activities showcased aggressive divesting throughout the year, culminating in an impressive sell-off in June reaching over $32 million. As of late 2024, his holdings have adjusted to around $3.94 million, evidencing a fluctuation that highlights the dynamic nature of his investment strategy. Russell's decisions appear strategic and responsive to market conditions, reflecting both personal financial management and the company's scaling journey.

Total Stock Sold

$3.37B

LAZR

$3.37B

700,000 LAZR shares

What if they kept their stock?

If Austin Russell didn't sell their stock, today they would have:
Extra LAZR700,000 shares worth $241.29M.
This is -92.84% and $3.13B less than what they got when they sold the stock.

Insider Trading

See recent insider trades of Austin Russell.

LAZR

$4.84M

LAZR at $6.12/share

May 16, 2023

Purchase

LAZR

$9.05M

LAZR at $6.13/share

May 15, 2023

Purchase

LAZR

$7.57M

LAZR at $5.83/share

May 15, 2023

Purchase

LAZR

$246.82K

LAZR at $9.87/share

Sep 20, 2022

Purchase

LAZR

$234.87K

LAZR at $9.39/share

Sep 15, 2022

Purchase

LAZR

$229.58K

LAZR at $9.18/share

Sep 9, 2022

Purchase

LAZR

$226.71K

LAZR at $9.07/share

Aug 24, 2022

Purchase

LAZR

$269.92K

LAZR at $10.80/share

Aug 12, 2022

Purchase

LAZR

$499.11K

LAZR at $9.98/share

Aug 11, 2022

Purchase

LAZR

$242.44K

LAZR at $9.70/share

Aug 10, 2022

Purchase

Compensation History

See how much did Austin Russell make over time.

In 2023, Austin Russell's compensation totaled $3.85 million, broken down into a $500,000 salary and $150,000 bonus, which was tied to the performance metrics of the company. This coupled with his $3 million in vested stock reflects a favor towards performance-based incentives rather than guaranteed paychecks. In 2022, however, he made headlines with a staggering $93.9 million due to performance-based restricted stock units, indicating that when the company performs well, he does too. The company’s philosophy is clear; they want the top executives like Russell to thrive alongside the company’s success, fostering a sense of shared destiny. His compensation data illustrates not just the numbers, but the underlying strategy to keep the leadership aligned with the company's long-term goals.

Year

2023

Total Compensation

$3.75M

Salary

$500.00K

Board Justification

The compensation philosophy emphasizes alignment with company performance, competitive benchmarking against peers, and retention of key executives.

Bonus

$150.00K

Board Justification

The bonus is based on the company's performance metrics including revenue growth and operational efficiency for the year 2023.

Other

$100.00K

Board Justification

Other compensation includes health benefits, retirement contributions, and perquisites.

Restricted Stock

$3.00M(200K RSU)

Board Justification

The vested stock consists of performance-based restricted stock units that vested in 2023 based on achieving specific company performance targets.

Performance Metrics

Performance metrics include revenue targets, operational efficiency, and market share growth.