Sir Martin Sorrell: the only way is up for the WPP chief executive's pay. Photograph: Andrew Couldridge/Action Images  Sir Martin Sorrell's total remuneration rose 70% to £30m last year – his biggest payout in almost 10 years – a boost likely to raise the ire of WPP shareholders who have previously revolted over pay levels.  Sorrell, who last year accepted a pay cut and a 20% reduction in his potential bonus payout in order to quell another shareholder revolt, received £29.8m last year.  This is 70% up on the £18m he received in 2012. It is his largest payout since 2005, when he took home £50m.  Sorrell received a base salary of £1.15m and a cash-and-shares bonus of £4.1m, up 34% on 2012.  The impetus behind the huge leap in Sorrell's remuneration was WPP's long-term incentive scheme, LEAP.  Last month WPP revealed that the controversial scheme, which was discontinued last year after complaints from investors, paid Sorrell £22.7m as part of a five-year period in which the company was the seventh best performer in the FTSE-100.  The company defended the scale of Sorrell's earnings, arguing that 90% of his earnings are performance-related.  Jeffrey Rosen, the chairman of WPP's remuneration committee, defended the payout but admitted that the scale of the LEAP was likely to draw criticism.  "While the level of vesting will undoubtedly attract public attention, the close relationship between WPP's pay and performance is again demonstrated by the considerable value that has been created for share owners during that period," he added.  Over the five-year period of the LEAP scheme WPP's share price has more than doubled, with the company's market capitalisation rising from £5bn in 2009 to more than £17bn.  WPP reported an 18.7% leap in pre-tax profits to £1.29bn in 2013.  • To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email media@theguardian.com or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000. If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication".  • To get the latest media news to your desktop or mobile, follow MediaGuardian on Twitter and Facebook.
WPP chief executive could face further shareholder unrest as remuneration is boosted by payout from incentive scheme. By Mark Sweney