Executives at companies backed by private equity are four times more likely to lose potential gains from incentive schemes than directors at publicly traded groups, as fears mount that private equity is tempting away all of the UK's top executive talent with multi-million pound pay packages.

The annual pay survey from accountants PricewaterhouseCoopers found higher rewards are on offer for directors in the world of private equity, with a typical long-term incentive plan offering a one-in-five chance of making 10 times your money after five years.