Albert Bourla

Albert Bourla (born 21 October 1961) is a Greek-American veterinarian and business executive serving as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Pfizer since 2019. Born in Thessaloniki, Greece, to Sephardic Jewish parents who survived the Holocaust, Bourla earned his doctorate in veterinary biotechnology before joining Pfizer's animal health division in 1993. Rising through the ranks over 26 years, he became CEO in January 2019 and led Pfizer's historic development of the first FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccine in partnership with BioNTech, completing development in nine months instead of the typical 10+ years. This achievement earned him the 2022 Genesis Prize ($1 million), CNN Business CEO of the Year (2021), and global recognition, though also generated controversies over vaccine pricing (accused of "war profiteering"), alleged unsubstantiated claims about children's vaccines, and "Pfizergate" involving undisclosed communications with EU Commission President von der Leyen. Married to Myriam Alchanati with two children, Bourla lives in Scarsdale, New York, with a summer home in Chalkidiki, Greece. His 2024 compensation of $24.6 million and net worth of ~$40 million reflect his leadership of one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies ($200+ billion market cap). He redirected his entire $1 million Genesis Prize to Holocaust education, honoring his parents' survival and the 50,000 Thessaloniki Jews who perished.

Major achievements: COVID-19 vaccine development (2020), Genesis Prize (2022), TIME 100 Health (2024) Major controversies: Vaccine price quadrupling to $110-130/dose, Pfizergate scandal, activist investor challenge (2024) Personal: Wife Myriam Alchanati, 2 children, veterinary doctorate from Aristotle University, speaks Greek and English Net worth: $35-40 million | Compensation: $24.6M (2024), $33M (2022 peak)