From the AP:
BENTONVILLE, Ark. -- Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has awarded it chief executive officer a stock bonus worth $22 million for reaching revenue targets, the retail giant disclosed Friday in a regulatory filing.The compensation committee of Wal-Mart's board voted Wednesday to make the award to Scott and also grant shares to other executives.
Scott's salary and bonus for 2006 was $5.23 million. His total compensation for that year was, excluding restricted stock awards, was $15.7 million. The $22 million bonus was for Wal-Mart's 2007 fiscal year.
The filing Friday says Scott was awarded 459,348 Wal-Mart shares, which will be fully vested in five years. The award brings Scott's total Wal-Mart holding to 1,185,002 shares, worth $56.8 million.
Let me get this straight. In 2006, Wal-Mart tallied its worst same-store sales growth in 27 years. The company's stock price has remained stagnant for years. And, public opinion has taken a serious turn for the worse.
The company has slashed labor costs by capping the salary if its employees, reduced the number of its employees receiving company health care and implemented a series of additional business practices to cut labor costs.
Given all that, the company's board rewards Scott with a $22 million bonus? Something is seriously wrong with this picture.
Posted by Jeremy - March 12, 2007 09:40 AM - Hard to Believe