The Truth About Post-Bailout Pay Restrictions: They Are A Lie

Bertel Schmitt
by Bertel Schmitt

What’s 10 million these days – give the man a raise!

Up until the mid-1800s, debtor’s prison did await those who could not pay their debts. To this day, more than a third of U.S. states allow debtors to be jailed for non-payment. If you run a company called GM, Ally, or AIG, not only do you keep your freedom, you will be bailed out by the government, and given a $10 million salary. Waitaminute, you say, aren’t executive salaries of bailed-out companies limited to a still very generous $500,000? This is exactly the question the special inspector general for the Troubled Assets Relief Program asked. The answer, provided in a report to Treasury Tim Geithner, and the public, is scathing: The Treasury Department ignored its own rules and approved “excessive pay packages” for the leaders of bailed-out companies.

The report lambasts the government which “continues to award excessive pay packages.” It also flogs executives who “continue to lack an appreciation for their extraordinary situations and fail to view themselves through the lenses of companies substantially owned by the U.S. Government.” Special mention for an inordinate amount of chutzpah received “GM CEO Dan Akerson [who] even asked Treasury Secretary Geithner to relieve GM from OSM’s pay restrictions, which was denied.” Akerson took home $9 million in cash and stock in 2012, apparently, he thought that was not enough.

This is your money on drugs

A total of 69 executives of bailed-out companies are under supposed salary restrictions. 23 were found earning more than the $500,000 limit. Another 25 made exactly $500,000. 65 of 69 made more than $450,000. Says the report:

“In stark contrast, the 2011 median household income of U.S. taxpayers who fund these companies was approximately $50,000.”

The report did not specifically reveal by name how much the executives of bailed-out companies make. It also did very little to hide the names.

According to GM’s website, a Daniel F. Akerson serves as GM Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, a Stephen J. Girsky is GM Vice Chairman, Daniel Ammann is GM Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer.

The Washington Post calls the report “stinging allegations of lax oversight and supervision.” The Detroit Free Press on the other hand complains that “Akerson’s pay package, which included $1.7 million in cash salary and stock valued at $7.3 million, did not increase from 2011 to 2012,” and that Alan Mulally and Sergio Marchionne make much more.

Bertel Schmitt
Bertel Schmitt

Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.

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  • BrianL BrianL on Jan 29, 2013

    Not to debate if the bailout was a smart idea or not (I don't think it was, but understand the fear of not doing anything), limiting financial compensation was probably the dumbest aspect of TARP. Since this is a car site, lets take GM as the example. What do the CEO's of Ford, Toyota, Honda, and Nissan make? How does 500k per year sound? By the way, it was 500k salary plus long term stock incentives. I don't see many people just itching to take the job when they can go other places make orders of magnitude more. When reading the SIGTARP report, it talks of risk to the tax payer with TARP money. SIGTARP fails to account for is a total loss for unqualified talent taking the wheel because that is who the companies are forced to employee given the restrictions.

  • Jjster6 Jjster6 on Jan 30, 2013

    So, first it was management that was incompetent to decide what the CEO (who was part of management) got paid. Then it was the Executive Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors who was incompetent. So we got the TARP Special Master and now they are incompetent. SIGTARP has all the answers. Where does this madness stop. Can't we all just admit we are extremely jealous that some are paid so much more than us. This is America. The market pays what the market demands.

  • CanadaCraig VOTE NO VW!
  • Joe This is called a man in the middle attack and has been around for years. You can fall for this in a Starbucks as easily as when you’re charging your car. Nothing new here…
  • AZFelix Hilux technical, preferably with a swivel mount.
  • ToolGuy This is the kind of thing you get when you give people faster internet.
  • ToolGuy North America is already the greatest country on the planet, and I have learned to be careful about what I wish for in terms of making changes. I mean, if Greenland wants to buy JDM vehicles, isn't that for the Danes to decide?
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