Living Large: October’s Executive Compensation Highlights

Why would the American economy NOT collapse when the CEOs are stealing this much from public companies. Quite like 3rd world countries, except that here in the USA, it is not even illegal. To think that this carnage is going on amist coporate layoffs and cut bags just exposes the indecency and ungodliness of American capitalism or is it thiefery capitalism?

The boards of directors are much too cozy with the top execs. They are not watching out for the stockholders' interests. The only thing John Q. Public can do is to buy individual stocks instead of mutual funds, and to vote on shareholder executive compensation proxies. The golden parachutes for FAILED executives are what bug me the most.

Let's see--I worked for them 32 years. I retired in 2000 and was paying $88. a month for health coverage for myself and my wife. In 2009, it was up to $1,100. a month and the coverage was much less. Now, even with Medicaid it's still costing us over $10,000. a year for less coverage. Thanks SAM for you leadership and perhaps my out of pocked medical cost savings for the company will help you in retirement!

The IBM guy made a good deal for himself most likely from a board which he sat on. I think it is a conflict of interest when executives sit on the board of the company they manage. It is no different than congress writing laws that are good for themselves but not the public.

As a shareholder his performance didn't out perform the Dow Jones average. From 2002 the stock went sideways and didn't break the high water mark until 2009 and to date it is up about 50% but the Dow is also up 50% for the same time period

Many years ago IBM was one of if not the first major company to abolish fixed payment pensions for its workers and switched to a 401k plan. I wonder if his pension is the same 401k as the workers. His going away package represents almost 1% of the total market cap of the company.

The others listed did well also.

This is a great example of what is wrong with this country, and what is destroying it. I am not against some CEOs or anybody getting richly rewarded because they can be unique persons that steer a big ship like no one else can. But come on...170 million for the IBM CEO, just for retirement?. That doesn’t include what he has made during tenure. And the list goes on and on. The inequity that has built up in this country is sickening, and these "big boys better wake up because they are pushing the limits of what the general population will be willing to take. Things could get ugly fast, and all their greed and collection of the nation’s wealth will be meaningless when they and their families are targeted by folks with their backs to the wall with nothing to lose. In this country there is enough for everyone, why do the select few feel like they need it all.

Tell me again why we shouldn't raise taxes on the rich? Seems to me, they could take their tax money out of petty cash.

These managers are stealing from shareholders - The shareholders should be the ones occupying wall street.

Unbelieveable package for a CEO that was unbelieveably cheap to the employees of the company.

Now do you see why large corporations could not afford pension plans for their employees? This is truly the winner take all sweepstakes.

The royal farewell package for Palmisano that you read about here is just the culmination of what's been going on for well over a decade at IBM. It's a company that has outsourced tens of thousands of jobs in the US, eliminated pensions, cut health care benefits, and squeezed the rank-and-file with raises that don't keep up with inflation. Meanwhile, Palmisano and his senior execs have gotten filthy rich off their bloated salaries and equity packages. Wall St. has loved the story and IBM stock has been a great performer. But I find IBM's behavior repugnant and not in the best long-term interests of this country. Sadly, what was once a great company could now be the posterboy for what's wrong with corporate America today.

Do you know how many people you could employ with all these payouts??? Don't you just love it, you layoff hundreds or thousand of people yet you pay these Chairman, CEO or whatever you call them, millions and millions of dollars. Go figure!!!

Nice Corporate Greed at its best.

So Sam retires after 9 years full benefits.

I after 29 years get offered the door, half pension and ZERO Health care after sacrificing my entire life for this corporation.

Yeah this is the way the Watsons expected its family business to become the most greedy and unethical corporation on earth.

Sure the middle class can survive if they saved but steeling almost $2,000,000 From my retirement is acceptable to Congress, Wall Street and Corporate greed.

I am one example of a person who worked 80 hour weeks and was paid for 40. I am the example of what loyalty and trust gets you.

Now I have to buy my benefits and supplement 29 years of expectations for a fair pay for a fiar days work while my youth has been abused by IBM.

This stuff makes me want to puke..no one is the world is worth this kind of compensation. It sits right up there with what we pay some of the most ignorant of all big money folks - the professional athlete. Only congress has it better since they don't even have to show up to collect their salaries and benefits and we regular stiffs pay the bill. Where can I go to get away from this #$%$...!

It is outrageous how these CEOs get these bloated compensation packages, no matter how well or poorly their company does. They claim they deserve these due to the responsibilities they bear, but isn't it curious that whenever a scandal erupts, their defense is that they were "out of the loop" or they "just didn't know"

Hey Teabaggers.... Why don't you complain about these numbers instead of always dishing dirt on auto workers, teachers, police, firemen, etc. etc. etc.???? Doesn't karl rove let you work on Saturday???

Americans watch and cheer- on the people fleecing them. Guess we're so stupid, we deserve it. Stop watching Fox and listening to Rush, they've sold you down the river.

Four extravagant examples, but at least it's the stockholders' money, not taxpayers. And think of all the income tax these folks will have to pay!!

They steal from the workers, raid pension plans, fire senior employees to make higher profits whils stealing the Intellectual capital developed in the USA.

Congress watches as they force more onto Medicare while stripping away a lifetime of health benefits and raiding the pensions using the same methods.

All while paying senior executives’ major bonuses as they did SAM.

Now maybe you will be able to understand OWS

The Republicans want to give these guys a tax break! Get Real! Let them pay their fair share!