Mitchell Steinhause, chief executive and outgoing chairman of the New York Mercantile Exchange, the US derivatives market, was paid over $1.5m (€1.2m) in 2005, including a bonus of $925,000.

In a proxy statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Nymex said Steinhause received a base salary of $600,000 last year and a bonus of $925,000.