9/11 Families Slam Soaring Salaries of Memorial Executives as Museum Faces Mounting Losses
Families of September 11 victims are blasting the National September 11 Memorial & Museum over skyrocketing executive salaries, even as the nonprofit continues to post steep financial losses and rely on taxpayer support.
The museum, built to honor the nearly 3,000 people killed in the 2001 terrorist attacks, attracted a reported 9,000 visitors a day last year but still lost nearly $20 million, according to its latest IRS filings. Despite charging $36 for general admission and up to $85 for combined tours, the institution reported $93 million in revenue in 2024 — including $4.5 million in taxpayer funds — against $112 million in expenses.
Leading those expenses were sharply rising pay packages for top executives. President and CEO Elizabeth Hillman, who took over in 2022, earned $856,216 last year, including a base salary of $775,084, retirement contributions, and benefits — a 63% increase from her predecessor’s final salary.
Other senior leaders also saw significant pay hikes:
Executive Vice President Joshua Cherwin collected $486,298 in 2024, a 78% increase since 2020.
Chief Strategy and Operations Officer Allison Blais made $458,652.
Director Clifford Chanin’s pay rose 66% in three years, reaching $444,999.
Chief Financial Officer David Shehaan received $432,958, nearly four times what he earned in 2019.
Overall payroll at the museum grew to $34 million in 2024, up from $22 million in 2020. Of its 411 employees, 13 earned more than $100,000.
The revelations have drawn sharp criticism from families of those lost in the attacks, who view the lavish compensation as an affront to the memorial’s mission. “It’s a slap in the face,” one family member said, pointing to the raises as excessive while the institution bleeds red ink and continues to depend on public funding.
The controversy echoes earlier backlash in 2020, when the museum paid out executive bonuses despite mass layoffs and furloughs during the pandemic, even as it reported a $47 million deficit that year.
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