The Frenchman, 61, is credited with leading a turnaround that has transformed Astra's image from laggard to pioneer, with a formidable portfolio of blockbuster drugs. He saw off a £69billion raid in 2014 by US rival Pfizer, which wanted to buy Astra and use the UK as its headquarters for tax purposes. Today, Astra is valued at almost £100billion, after a near-150 per cent rise in its share price since Soriot took over in October 2012. In that time, the father-of-two, whose family home is in Australia, has been paid £86.9million. His package in 2020 included a £1.29million salary, £13.78million in bonuses, benefits worth £121,000 and £258,000 in pension contributions.