That such disparities do not shock people more than they do is because the public has become used to them and the greed that they signify. Having grown massively in the 1980s, the gap between rich and poor has been stuck for three decades. Pressure on this year's super-earners is probably also less strong than it might be because average FTSE chief executive pay has fallen (by 17% compared with the £3.25m recorded in 2019). Relief may also be afforded by the glint of reflected glory: top of the table is Pascal Soriot, chief executive of vaccine-maker AstraZeneca, whose pay packet contains an eye-watering £15.45m.