Sanjay Jha's 2008 Executive Compensation: $104 Million

Sanjay Jha the big CEO in 2008

The current controversy over executive salaries is understandable from the public’s perspective. How can companies that are already receiving a cash advance of taxpayer dollars to keep them out of bankruptcy justify paying exorbitant salaries to the top executives that drove the companies into the ground in the first place?

Well, the public now has another target for their rage. Greg Burns reports for the Chicago Tribune that Motorola co-CEO Sanjay Jha has been identified by the Wall Street Journal as “the biggest pay-getter at any public company in 2008.”

$104 million in annual compensation

But wait. According to the Journal, most of Jha’s $104 million annual compensation comes from stock options. Unfortunately for him and Motorola investors, shares of the company are almost worthless (about $4.51 per share).

Jha was lured away from Qualcomm, a job that was safer. Now his compensation hinges upon whether he can “spin off Motorola’s sinking handset division and make it work,” writes Burns. Investors and analysts are doubtful. But what is clear is that recent regulations have made figuring out exactly what executives are being paid difficult. But since the market is down, current prognosis is less rosy than $104 million. ... click here to read the rest of the article titled "Sanjay Jha's 2008 Executive Compensation: $104 Million"