How is that clickbait? Calling income "a bonus" doesn't mean it isn't money being paid out by the company. When my company gives me shares, it's still income that I pay taxes on because it's something with a tangible value that can be easily converted into cash.
CEO salary being a small fraction of their total compensation is extremely common because wages are taxed higher than everything else. They structure it like this to avoid taxes. Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg were/are paid $1 per year base salary and they're two of the wealthiest people on the planet.