Museum director has top salary

Philippe de Montebello, director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, earned $4.7 million last year, beating out presidents of universities and leading hospitals as the one with the highest reported compensation among executives at U.S. nonprofit institutions.

In addition to his $4.56 million salary, De Montebello received $187,685 in benefits, housing and expense-account allowances in the fiscal year ending June 30, according to a Chronicle of Philanthropy survey released Monday.

De Montebello, the longest-serving director in the New York museum’s history, earned $533,462 in 2005. The huge increase in his compensation last year was the result of a one-time, $4-million payment to mark his 30 years as head of the U.S.’ largest art institution, Metropolitan spokesman Harold Holzer said in an e-mail.