The energy baron earned 4.38 million euros last year. Dropping to second place was Nokia's chairman of the board and former CEO Jorma Ollila. He had to make do with 4.27 million euros.
Lilius only paid 37% tax on his earnings, compared to Ollila's 57%. Ollila has repeatedly called for tax cuts in Finland, suggesting that Nokia might move abroad someday because executives are taxed too heavily.
In third place was the president and CEO of SRV, former chairman of the insurance company Pohjola, Eero Heliövaara. He earned 2.79 million euros last year.
The tax figures reveal that the country's richest individual last year was Rafaela Seppälä, with a personal taxable fortune worth 202 million euros. She is the niece of Aatos Erkko, principal shareholder of the Sanoma WSOY media empire. Erkko, Finland's richest man for many years, is now ranked ninth.
The second largest fortune, 144 million euros, belongs to the estate of beverages magnate Per Hartwall. The third biggest belongs to Björn Wahlroos, CEO of the Sampo financial group, with 120 million euros.
Wahlroos paid one of the highest tax rates on that wealth, 81% compared to Seppälä's 62%.
In line with Nordic traditions of egalitarianism and transparency, all tax return data is public information in Finland -- annually providing fodder for the popular press and public grumbling.