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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2009
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Ousted GM Boss Gets $20M Retirement Payout

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(Newser) – If Rick Wagoner is upset about being forced out of his job as GM’s CEO, his $20 million retirement package should provide some consolation, ABC News reports. Though Treasury rules prevent Wagoner from collecting severance pay, the ousted exec is still eligible for an “Executive Retirement Plan” and a “Salaried Retirement Plan,” which totaled $20.2 million as of last year.

A GM spokesman says most of the money will be paid out over the next 5 years, with the rest as “a small lifetime annuity.” During Wagoner’s tenure, GM has lost billions of dollars and eliminated 47,000 jobs. “It’s another perfect example of why there’s so much frustration among working people,” said one Detroit-based labor advocate. “I wouldn’t mind retiring out of an industry in crisis with a $20 million package.”

In this Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2008 picture, GM CEO Rick Wagoner, Chrysler CEO Robert Nardelli and Ford CEO Alan Mulally, testify on Capitol Hill.
In this Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2008 picture, GM CEO Rick Wagoner, Chrysler CEO Robert Nardelli and Ford CEO Alan Mulally, testify on Capitol Hill.   (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
General Motors CEO Richard Wagoner listens as President Barack Obama, not pictured, speaks about the economy at Business Roundtable, March 12, 2009.
General Motors CEO Richard Wagoner listens as President Barack Obama, not pictured, speaks about the economy at Business Roundtable, March 12, 2009.   (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
General Motors CEO Richard Wagoner listens as President Barack Obama, not pictured, speaks about the economy at Business Roundtable, March 12, 2009.
General Motors CEO Richard Wagoner listens as President Barack Obama, not pictured, speaks about the economy at Business Roundtable, March 12, 2009.
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EddyTeach
Mar 30, 09 1:28 PM CDT
Awesome. I can't wait to run my business into the ground and retire in style. Reply
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jaguarj
Mar 31, 09 7:53 AM CDT
Is there no end to this fricking madness??? Reply
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radnip
Apr 1, 09 12:08 PM CDT
The usual stuff. Wagoner's probably disappointed because he didn't get a centimillion pay year, like many other CEOs. Hell, when other executives are getting $500million+ (see Hedge funds, etc), Wagoner got a blue-collar severance, for an executive. So, maybe the executives and Repugs will try to get the overpaid union workers to agree to a pay cut from $40/hour to $20/hour, so other executives can increase their pay and get bigger paydays when those executives get fired for doing bad jobs and leave the company near bankruptcy. I used to think people just got fired....until I got told workers were getting paid too much when they got paid $8/hour but a company couldn't cut anything else when their executive pay were totalling hundreds of millions. Interesting math...and "management". Good thing the public and media was buying this. Too bad many of them are now opening their eyes. Reply
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