rediff.com
News APP

NewsApp (Free)

Read news as it happens
Download NewsApp

Available on  gplay

Rediff.com  » Business » CEOs who walked away with millions after losing their jobs
This article was first published 11 years ago

CEOs who walked away with millions after losing their jobs

Last updated on: October 02, 2013 12:47 IST

Image: Carly Fiorina, former Chairman and CEO of Hewlett-Packard, received one of the highest compensations from her employer.
Photographs: Mike Segar/Reuters

There are some chief executives who received millions, even billions, of dollars when they were shown the door by the company.

Let's take a look at some of the biggest golden handshakes in the world.

Source: Zero Hedge

...

Tags: 1

CEOs who walked away with millions after losing their jobs

Image: Pills line the shelves in the pharmacy at Venice Family Clinic in Los Angeles. Inset, William McGuire.
Photographs: Lucy Nicholson/Reuters

William McGuire

Compensation: $1.6 billion in stock

Company: UnitedHealth Group

Industry: Health care

Year of compensation: 2006

Overall rank: 1

McGuire was the CEO of UnitedHealth Group from 1991 to 2006. He was later forced to repay $468 million and fined $7 million by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

...

CEOs who walked away with millions after losing their jobs

Image: Michael Eisner with wife Jane in Sun Valley, Idaho.
Photographs: Anthony Bolante/Reuters

Michael Eisner

Compensation: $1 billion

Company: Walt Disney Company

Industry: Entertainment

Year of compensation: 2005

Overall rank: 2

Eisner expanded the Walt Disney empire by adding seven theme parks, 10 cable channels and bringing ABC network into the fold.

...

CEOs who walked away with millions after losing their jobs

Image: Angelo Mozilo in Washington.
Photographs: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters

Angelo Mozilo

Compensation: $184 million

Company: Countrywide Financial Corporation

Industry: Finance

Year of compensation: 2008

Overall rank: 3

Mozilo, whose salary, bonus and stock were at one time valued at about $470 million, was later charged with insider trading and securities fraud and was slapped with a fine and ban.

...

CEOs who walked away with millions after losing their jobs

Image: Michael Ovitz in Sun Valley, Idaho.
Photographs: Rick Wilking/Reuters

Michael Ovitz

Compensation: $169 million

Company: Walt Disney Company

Industry: Entertainment

Year of compensation: 1997

Overall rank: 4

Ovitz, who was working under Michael Eisner, was kicked out of the company by shareholders after just 14 months.

...

CEOs who walked away with millions after losing their jobs

Image: James Kilts in Wilmington, Delaware.
Photographs: Tim Shaffer/Reuters

James Kilts

Compensation: $165 million

Company: Gillette Company

Industry: Personal care

Year of compensation: 2005

Overall rank: 5

Kilts, who was receiving $6.5 million salary per year, lost his job when Gillette was taken over by Procter & Gamble.

...

CEOs who walked away with millions after losing their jobs

Image: Merrill Lynch building in New York City. Inset, Stanley O'Neal.
Photographs: Keith Bedford/Reuters

Stanley O’Neal

Compensation: $161 million

Company: Merrill Lynch & Company

Industry: Banking

Year of compensation: 2007

Overall rank: 6

O’Neal, who walked away with $161 million after losing his job, has been called one of the worst CEOs in history.

...

CEOs who walked away with millions after losing their jobs

Image: Charles Prince in Washington, DC.
Photographs: Jim Young/Reuters

Charles Prince

Compensation: $99 million in stock

Company: Citigroup

Industry: Banking

Year of compensation: 2007

Overall rank: 7

Prince was not only given nearly $100 million for leaving Citigroup but also a company car and chauffeur for five years.

...

Tags: Citigroup

CEOs who walked away with millions after losing their jobs

Image: Henry McKinnell in Davos, Swizterland.
Photographs: Pascal Lauener/Reuters

Henry McKinnell

Compensation: $83 million

Company: Pfizer

Industry: Pharmaceuticals

Year of compensation: 2006

Overall rank: 8

McKinnell gave himself a 72 per cent salary rise even though the company shares were falling.

...

CEOs who walked away with millions after losing their jobs

Image: Calyon Building, former site of the RJR Nabisco headquarters, in New York City. Inset, Frederick Ross Johnson.
Photographs: Americasroof/Wikipedia Commons

Frederick Ross Johnson

Compensation: $53 million

Company: RJR Nabisco

Industry: Food processing, tobacco

Year of compensation: 1989

Overall rank: 9

Frederick Ross Johnson's $53 million compensation in 1989 was the biggest golden handshake at that time.

...

CEOs who walked away with millions after losing their jobs

Image: Carly Fiorina in Irvine, California.
Photographs: Phil McCarten/Reuters

Carly Fiorina

Compensation: $40 million

Company: Hewlett-Packard

Industry: Technology

Year of compensation: 2005

Overall rank: 10

Fiorina's $40 million compensation was challenged by shareholders in court but they lost the case. She, meanwhile, lost her bid to become US Senator.