Yahoo!'s chief executive Carol Bartz, who joined the internet giant last year, was paid more than $47 million for the year 2009.

According to the US Securities and Exchange Commission, Bartz received a base salary of $969,872 last year and also got a performance-related bonus valued at $1.5 million.

In addition, she received $42.1 million in the form of stock and stock options and other compensation of $2.61 million, thus, taking the total pay package to $47.22 million, the filing added.

Most of the package Bartz's compensation was in the form of stock and stock options.

Meanwhile, Yahoo! co-founder Jerry Yang was paid a token salary of one dollar in 2009. He is among the company's biggest shareholders with a 3.4 per cent stake.

Bartz, 61, replaced Yang as Yahoo! CEO in January last year but he still remains at the post of 'Chief Yahoo!'