BlogBreak

By SUSAN

June 16, 2008 1:16 PM | Link to this

The salaries they make is outrageous. They travel from company to company taking all they can get and moving on to the next with a huge bonus to leave and to sign with the next. I kind of refer to them as Locusts, taking all they can get and moving on to the next. Then they seem to make sure their buddies or buddies buddies are next in line for their share to run the company into the ground even further. Salaries should be tied to performance not just because you are there and have a huge contract. I certainly would not get my small increases each year if I did such a lousy job. But I guess that is how it works when Cronies look out for each other.

By Harold

June 16, 2008 1:40 PM | Link to this

A shining example is Rick Wagoneer of General Motors. He just was awarded a 14 million dollar salary by GM’s board. Meanwhile the company has lost market share every year since he has been CEO of GM. The company also has burned thru 6 billion dollars of cash thus far this year. GM sells fuel thirsty trucks and SUV’S. They are not known for fuel efficient vehicles like the cureent Asian conterparts, Toyota, Honda, and Nissan. GM is shuttering 4 truck and SUV plants in the nest 24 months. Thousands of auto workers stand to be unemployed and he walks away with a 14 million dollar bonus. Furthermore, he has a bankruptcy proof golden parachute that allows his compensation to continue no matter the fate of GM. He should be ashamed.

By Simon

June 16, 2008 1:43 PM | Link to this

Bob Nardelli…anyone? Home Depot took a spanking.

By bronco

June 16, 2008 2:06 PM | Link to this

$14 million dollar salary? Is that with a dental plan? How much is that an hour? Is he really happy?

By Erin

June 16, 2008 2:07 PM | Link to this

Simon, you read my mind!

By Koz

June 16, 2008 2:09 PM | Link to this

When we stop paying Hollywood actors outrageous fortunes for doing absolutley nothing then I might complain about CEO’s who make considerably less.

By Anthony

June 16, 2008 2:17 PM | Link to this

“When we stop paying Hollywood actors outrageous fortunes for doing absolutely nothing then I might complain about CEO’s who make considerably less.”

You cant compare the two. An actor gives a bad performance thousands of people aren’t laid off. If you cost your company a bunch of money, would you be getting a huge bonus for failing at what you were hired to do?

By Koz

June 16, 2008 2:24 PM | Link to this

You cant compare the two

I Just did. I don’t care who is laid off, Hollywood is ridiculous.

By SUSAN

June 16, 2008 2:24 PM | Link to this

The answer is easy, no more movies, no more sporting events, no more cd’s and do not patronize the companies with the lousy reputations for over compensation. Eventually something would have to give!

By Grandfather

June 20, 2008 12:48 PM | Link to this

They only make money because they are racist.

By Katie

June 20, 2008 1:30 PM | Link to this

“They only make money because they are racist.”

Are you kidding me???? Put the trump card away. If you educated yourself and landed a CEO job you’d be making the same and wouldn’t be complaining. Racism—LOL, that’s a good one. Blame everything on race. You’re black therefore everyone is against you.. Hello, this is 2008, not 1808, most of the world is NOT racist. There’s losers in every bunch, stop blaming the whole ‘whitey’ population on your lack of effort!!!!

By Mr Charlie

June 20, 2008 1:45 PM | Link to this

Nope I’m not pea green with envy at all. It kills me though that the cost of living has increased somewhat dramatically but no one speaks of giving pay raises. Everybody’s becoming stingy with money but yet everyone expects you to continue paying your bills ON TIME.

By Josh

June 20, 2008 1:56 PM | Link to this

It’s a free market. They earn what people are willing to pay them. What’s wrong with that?

By Jarred

June 20, 2008 2:55 PM | Link to this

“They earn what people are willing to pay them. What’s wrong with that?” This is disingenuous at best. CEO’s salaries are determined by the boards. Not consumers, not employees, not performance. Boards. The boards are made up of super rich folks who own alot of stock and usually are close personal friends of the CEO or the outgoing CEO. This “club” self perpetuates by the old “scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours” mentality. They only occassionally allow outsiders in and usually that only happens after decades of pandering and influence peddling. Please see SAM NUNN, who was magically elected to the board of GE after retiring from the Senate after 30 plus years of voting in favor of any and all legislation that would benefit GEs nuclear and military businesses. Every single 1 of the folks in this list are WAY overpaid and think how much better these companies books would look if they had all that extra blown salary on their profit sheets instead of in these pirates pockets!!!!

By Tray

June 20, 2008 3:07 PM | Link to this

Whoever is bashing movie stars needs to wake up. “they don’t earn it”-BS! Most movie stars do. I challenge you to watch the making of Pirates of the Carribbean 3, they have to do some amazing stuff, and it’s not stunt doubles. They train on swordfighting for countless hours to make the scenes work. Then, they had to get on a LIFE SIZE model ship that rocked and swayed, then had over a million gallons of water dumped on them! They had to pull off the swordfighting scene during all of that, and they had numerous takes! If you’re that good, you deserve the money, but you’re not, so shut up!

By Glenn

June 20, 2008 3:20 PM | Link to this

It’s a sad state of affairs when you look at how many of the Top 20 are present or former managers (notice how I didn’t use the word “leaders”) at Delta. Not one full year out of bankruptcy and the board rewarded its executives with millions. Richard Anderson was awarded over $11 million and he hasn’t even seen his first anniversary at Delta and Jim Whitehurst was awarded $15M when he was shown the door. Meanwhile the employee group , after enduring paycuts and benefit losses, don’t forget that the pilots also lost their pensions, is just now getting the measly equivalent of a cost of living/inflation pay raise. I don’t see how the likes of Anderson, Bastian, Campbell and many more can show their faces to the employee group. They are a bunch of egotistical prima donna bast**ds. I don’t own Delta stock any more, I took a bath on it when Delta went bankrupt but if I did, I’d be one mad shareholder.

By Chill Out

June 20, 2008 3:35 PM | Link to this

Katie — don’t you recognize sarcasm from a troll when you read it? What are you, 12? Geez - you’re going to give yourself a stroke.

By nwdnanny

June 20, 2008 3:40 PM | Link to this

Is it any surprise, at all, that Delta Airlines is in serious financial trouble. Five out of the top 20 highest paid executive in Georgia are on the Delta payroll, with total salaries of OVER 50 MILLION DOLLARS. And they want to start charging us for ONE bag and eventually for a can of soda. GIVE ME A F——— break. They need to put all of them on one Delta plane and hope it doesn’t get to where it is goin.

By Aldo

June 20, 2008 3:48 PM | Link to this

I’m going to send my resume to Coca Cola asap!

By nwdnanny

June 20, 2008 3:50 PM | Link to this

Grandfather, your comment doesn’t even make sense. What does racism have to do with this article at all? OH, I see…let’s blame it on white people AGAIN. After all they are the reason for Katrina, 9/11, the Midwest floods, and anything else that you can think of. Until ya’ll quite placing the blame of people, other than yourselves, you will NEVER find yourself in any place other than where you are right now…PERIOD!!!!!

By Jon Konkack

June 20, 2008 3:56 PM | Link to this

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

By Terry McGuirk

June 20, 2008 4:04 PM | Link to this

HAHAHAHAHAHA as well. The joke’s on you!

By Love

June 20, 2008 4:14 PM | Link to this

OBAMA!!!!!

By Robert

June 20, 2008 4:35 PM | Link to this

As a consumer, what I perceive to be unfair is the sacrifices Delta Airlines has asked it’s employees and customers to make while paying these huge salaries to executives. Delta doesn’t deserve to be in business. Let them go the way of Eastern Airlines. Bye, Bye…

By Lady Alexis

June 20, 2008 4:37 PM | Link to this

CEOs earn their pay; as do other top execs. Until you sit in the chair at the helm of a global company you can not imagine the pressure. The entire company is dependent on you, you make the decisions that drive the company’s performance. You approve expenses, hiring, bonus packages, etc. ad nauseum. It is not an easy job to sit in that chair, so until you can sit where we sit, then don’t complain about the salary. It is well earned by keeping the company alive and the business moving forward into the future.

By Robert

June 20, 2008 4:42 PM | Link to this

But I hope Delta does not go forward but into the tank!

By Jason

June 20, 2008 5:01 PM | Link to this

These aren’t really “mega salaries.” They’re a lot larger than mine, but top hedge fund managers make over $1 billion a year. That’s a mega salary.

By rc

June 20, 2008 5:05 PM | Link to this

i really wonder if their decisions and actions really are that much more (by multiples of 1000s) valuable than other company employees. the guys at the top set their salaries or get the boards to help them on salary and compensation. parachutes are rediculous. i am sure ceos are the cream of the crop, smart, good people skills, etc,,,,but i’ll bet there are good number of folks probably in their own companies who could make the same calls they do. so these ceos need to realize their wealth is due in most part to the employees in their company. i wonder how many can look in the mirror and really believe they deserve these great rewards.

By Truth Be Told

June 23, 2008 8:51 AM | Link to this

I think many on this post are absolutely jealous and have NO concept on what it takes to run a company. It is a slap in the face for many of you - as you realize that you’ll never be successful.

… just as many of you armchair Presidents have now idea what it takes to run a country.

It’s usually the the working class that causes companies and countries to collapse.

By bob

June 23, 2008 9:11 AM | Link to this

This the epitome of prejudice and clear evidence that the good ole boy system is alive and well.

None of the top twenty are African-American or female (Is Kriss a woman?). 50% of the population is female. Females don’t like money:)?

To say that these individuals work hard is akin to saying George Bush works hard.

They are all figureheads who have people who do the heavy lifting and focus on day to day operations.

These individuals are where they are because of seniority not talent. Talented people form their own companies early on in life. They do not hang around for 30+ years to reach the pinnacle.

You can pay someone $250,000 a year and get the same or better results.

Capitalism at its finest:) You the average joe simply get’s screwed day in and day out.

By stan

June 23, 2008 9:43 AM | Link to this

Bob Nardelli,wouldn’t you like to buy a chrysler and contribute to his retirement.

By Pago Flyer

June 23, 2008 12:06 PM | Link to this

osama will take care of this, except for oprah. Everybody will make the same $$$.