Steve Ells

Who is Steve Ells?

Steve Ells is the founder, Co-CEO, and Chairman of Chipotle Mexican Grill. Ells founded Chipotle in 1993, and under his direction, the restaurant began serving what it describes as "naturally raised meat" and arguably promote sustainable agriculture.

Ells has been embroiled in controversy over his pay: In 2013, he was paid $25.1 million, more than his equivalents in larger companies such as Ford, Boeing and AT&T. In recent years, Ells has been paid more than $300 million together with his co-chief executive. Together, they were paid more than all but the highest-paid chief executive among the country’s biggest 100 companies, Lawrence J. Ellison of Oracle. In May 2014, Ells was rebuked by shareholders, who rejected a plan to further his wages.