Keep this in mind next time you hear Happy Talk about the freeeeeeeeee market from double-chinned Republicans:
Former Bank of America CEO Ken Lewis, who retired at the end of last year, took a package of stock and benefits valued at $83 million with him when he left, the Wall Street Journal reports:
Mr. Lewis, who retired Dec. 31, got 2009 compensation of $4.2 million. That came largely from an increase in the value of his pension benefits. The former CEO agreed last fall to give up his 2009 base salary and any chance at a bonus at the request of Treasury Department pay czar Kenneth Feinberg. Mr. Feinberg made the request based on concerns about the amount of benefits Mr. Lewis could collect upon retirement.
Lewis did not receive a salary or bonus in 2009, although he was paid just over $32K in various perks, according to the Associated Press:
Lewis, who stepped down as CEO on Dec. 31, received no salary or bonus. His compensation was limited to perks including tax services, home security and parking, according to a preliminary filing disclosed to the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Lewis' 2008 compensation was valued at $9 million. He resigned after almost a year of strife that followed the bank's purchase of Merrill Lynch. He was succeeded as CEO by Brian Moynihan, formerly head of the bank's consumer banking division.
Moynihan's 2009 compensation, including salary and stock awards, was valued at $6.03 million, up 32 percent over 2008, according to the filing.
Both Lewis' and Moynihan's pay was dwarfed by the bank's head of global banking and markets, Tom Montag, whose 2009 pay was valued at $29.9 million. The bulk of Montag's pay was in restricted stock. Bank of America said Montag's stock award was a "contractual commitment" made by Merrill Lynch, which hired Montag in April 2008 before the company being acquired by Bank of America.
Bank of America received $25 billion in government bailout money at the height of the credit crisis in fall 2008. It received an additional $20 billion in January 2009 to help offset losses it absorbed as part of the Merrill Lynch acquisition. The bank repaid the money in December, but rancor over the Merrill deal continued.
Earlier this month, New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo filed civil charges against Bank of America and Lewis, saying the bank misled investors about Merrill Lynch before it acquired the Wall Street bank in early 2009.
The charges grew out of from accusations that Bank of America failed to properly disclose losses at Merrill and bonuses paid to investment bank employees before the deal closed. The bank has denied the accusations.
Bank of America was eager to repay its bailout money to avoid compensation restrictions imposed by the government pay czar Kenneth Feinberg.
The AP's executive pay calculation aims to isolate the value the company's board placed on the CEO's total compensation package. The figure includes salary, bonus, incentives, perks and the estimated value of stock options and awards.
The calculations don't include changes in the present value of pension benefits, and they sometimes differ from the totals companies list in the summary compensation table of proxy statements filed with the SEC, which reflect the size of the accounting charge taken for the executives compensation in the previous fiscal year.
That amounts to $1027/hr for all 8,760 hrs in a year.Lewis' 2008 compensation was valued at $9 million. He resigned after almost a year of strife that followed the bank's purchase of Merrill Lynch. He was succeeded as CEO by Brian Moynihan, formerly head of the bank's consumer banking division
What does this guy do? what does he supply? what does he provide? To receive this sort of compensation.
Why couldn't an MBA do this for $200,000 a year??
It's not the compensation that bother me - as such.Originally Posted by dBrong
What infuriates me - and I expect, millions of Americans - is that this dick and others like him are paid such huge sums for incompetence; for running a business into the ground. BoA got a huge government bailout - financed by taxes taken out of the hides of average working Americans.
It seems there are no consequences for these politically connected shysters; yet the same system that rewards and protects them mercilessly screws average people - many of whom have done nothing whatever to deserve it.
A Mexican peon will do their job for 40 percent less - "increasing shareholder value" - so the average guy's job is gone. And the profit goes into the pockets of guys like this.
And they feel no shame. Quite the opposite. They feel entitled.
I predict violence will come of this....
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