23 who laughed at the recession

CEO since June 2007: John G. Stumpf

When Wells Fargo completed its $15 billion purchase of Wachovia on the last day of 2008, the bank's customer base immediately doubled.

Even better: the acquisition's impact on the company's bottom line. Earnings jumped 362% last year, to $12.3 billion, a performance that helped make Wells' chief John Stumpf, who started his career as a baker, the country's highest paid banker.

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