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Pay Czar Cuts Bonuses, But Boosts Salaries

Feinberg beefs up base base to help firms retain talent

By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff

Posted Oct 28, 2009 1:24 AM CDT

(Newser) – Base pay will increase for the majority of top execs in the finance and auto firms supervised by federal pay czar Kenneth Feinberg. Salaries are being bumped up—by hundreds of thousands of dollars in some cases—as bonuses and other perks are slashed. Despite the salary hikes, all 136 execs at the seven firms overseen by Feinberg will end up making much less than last year.

Critics say the salary increases—granted in response to appeals from banks—contradict Feinberg's promise to restructure how top execs are paid. Other analysts say the hikes are a necessary move to help the firms retain talent. It "reflects his judgment that for competitive purposes he's got to keep these people," one Harvard expert told the Wall Street Journal. Requests for higher base salaries from some firms, including AIG, were rejected.

Special Master for Executive Compensation Kenneth Feinberg, also known as the Treasury Department's pay czar, speaks  at Georgetown Law School in Washington yesterday.
Special Master for Executive Compensation Kenneth Feinberg, also known as the Treasury Department's "pay czar," speaks at Georgetown Law School in Washington yesterday.   (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
Treasury Department  pay czar Kenneth Feinberg speaks at Georgetown University in Washington yesterday.
Treasury Department pay czar Kenneth Feinberg speaks at Georgetown University in Washington yesterday.   (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
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COMMENTS
Showing 2 of 2 comments
Netstorm2k10
Oct 28, 2009 7:54 AM CDT
Three Card Monty, anyone?
kyleleitch
Oct 28, 2009 6:34 AM CDT
Yet again, the administration's broken promises.

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