It's difficult for me to describe what makes a CEO worthwhile as I do not have much understanding of the job past the barebones startup level in which case it doesn't really mean much of anything, so let me ask you a question - is there anything about what you do that means you can't just be replaced by anyone off the street, give them the info pertinent to the job, and set them loose?

I think most people on HN would say no I can't be replaced like that, I think I can't easily be replaced in the job I'm currently on. Not saying it's impossible just saying it is difficult, which is why they pay a lot of money for me.

I've worked non-technical jobs in construction and the like, and unless it was the stupidest low-level stuff you couldn't really pull anyone off the street and tell them well here's the job have at it.

But for some reason there does seem to be some people who think management can be replaced like that. It seems unlikely to me.

Now of course this calculation changes if the person being replaced is no good at the job, then yes when I worked construction you could probably have replaced me with some idiot off the street. And I suppose there are bad managers and CEOs that can be replaced the same way.

As for why they are worth their weight in gold, it is because that is what the market will pay, just as I am worth what the market will pay for my skills and the best construction worker I ever knew was worth what the market would pay which was quite a bit less than the money I get paid which is in turn less than a CEO gets paid for their skillset.