Pfizer CEO Profits After COVID Vaccine Announcement

Eyebrows raised when Pfizer CEO sold some of his holdings in the company to the tune of $5.6 million. The prescheduled sale came at the perfect time, when the company publicly announced promising results from early COVID vaccine trials. CNBC reports that Bourla’s base salary was $1.65 million in April. After his most recent sale of shares, he still owns nine times his salary in shares, approximately $15 million.

MarketScale Radio hosts Daniel Litwin and Tyler Kern dissect the news. Litwin considers the serendipity of the sale timed with the public announcement. Kern and Litwin consider the thought of one person profiting tremendously off of a public good like a life-saving vaccine, and in the end, Kern points out, any one takeaway depends on how one feels about capitalism’s economic structures and incentives.

KEY POINTS:

  • Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla sells $5.6 million worth of stock just as it jumps 15%.
  • The sale was pre-scheduled, but opportunely timed with the public announcement of a promising vaccine.
  • Other medical executives at Moderna also are cashing in on spiking stocks while vaccines inch toward approval.

For the latest news, videos, and podcasts in the Healthcare Industry, be sure to subscribe to our industry publication.

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Twitter – @MarketScale
Facebook – facebook.com/marketscale
LinkedIn – linkedin.com/company/marketscale

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Image

Latest

telecom
Predictive Networks: How Baron Weather and GIS are Strengthening Telecom Operations
February 12, 2026

Severe weather is no longer an occasional disruption for telecom providers—it’s becoming part of the operating environment. During Hurricane Ida in 2021, the Federal Communications Commission reported that nearly 1,000 cell sites across Louisiana and Mississippi went offline. In 2024, Hurricane Milton left more than 12% of cell sites in impacted areas of Florida…

Read More
The DAISY Foundation: Impacting Nurse Careers Through Recognition
The DAISY Foundation: Impacting Nurse Careers Through Recognition
February 12, 2026

Recognition is often described as a “nice to have” in healthcare, but on this episode of Care Anywhere, it’s framed as something far more essential. Host Lea Sims sits down with Deb Zimmermann, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, Chief Executive Officer of The DAISY Foundation, and Bonnie Barnes, FAAN, co-founder of the organization, to explore…

Read More
Revpar Media
The Origin of Revpar Media: Host Calvin Tilokee’s Journey from Revenue Management to Performance Storytelling
February 11, 2026

Something has shifted in hotel marketing, and you can feel it. In a landscape where every property can publish polished visuals, aesthetics alone are no longer enough to stand out—or to convert attention into bookings. Research increasingly shows that social media now plays a meaningful role in how travelers choose destinations and plan trips,…

Read More
spiral growth
Spiral Growth: The Career Strategy That Builds Real Leaders
February 11, 2026

Leadership pipelines are under pressure. Companies are moving faster, roles are becoming more cross-functional, and high-potential talent is expected to deliver beyond narrow job descriptions earlier in their careers. At the same time, the World Economic Forum estimates that 39% of workers’ core skills will need to evolve by 2030 to keep pace with…

Read More