GM CEO made over $3M in '08 despite big losses
Roughly $11.9 million of Wagoner's compensation was in stock and options that have plummeted to $682,000 in value as GM's shares have dropped below $2.
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Wagoner's total compensation last year was 5.5% less than the $15.7 million he got in 2007.
He received no cash incentive compensation last year, but his salary increased 35% from $1.6 million in 2007 because it was restored to its level before 2006, when he agreed to reduce his salary for two years as part of the company's restructuring efforts.
This year, Wagoner has agreed to accept a salary of $1 as part of GM's request for government help. The company has received $13.4 billion in federal loans and is seeking up to $30 billion as it tries to weather the worst auto sales downturn in 27 years.
Wagoner, 55, received $2.1 million in salary last year, $836,000 in other compensation, and stock and options that the company valued at $11.9 million when they were granted in March 2008.
But 1 million options that had been valued at more than $7.1 million are now worthless because GM shares are trading below $2, far less than the $23.13 price at which Wagoner could exercise the options to buy GM shares. Other shares granted as part of long-term incentive programs lost most of their value.
GM's stock price plunged 87% in 2008 from its level of $24.89 at the end of 2007. In midday trading Thursday, the shares fell 38 cents, or 17.4%, to $1.82.
Wagoner's other compensation included $160,000 for personal use of corporate aircraft, $270,000 for personal security, $11,500 for use of company vehicles, and $12,000 for financial and estate planning.
Use of the aircraft drew the ire of many in Congress late last year when Wagoner and his counterparts at Chrysler and Ford Motor flew to Washington on separate corporate jets to seek government loans. When GM signed its government loan agreement Dec. 31, it agreed to get rid of the private aircraft that it had been leasing.
Wagoner, Chief Operating Officer Fritz Henderson and Chief Financial Officer Ray Young now fly first-class on commercial airlines. Other senior leadership executives fly business class for international travel and coach for domestic flights, GM said in its annual report.
The Associated Press calculations of total pay include executives' salary, bonus, incentives, perks, above-market returns on deferred compensation and the estimated value of stock options and awards granted during the year. The calculations don't include changes in the present value of pension benefits, and they sometimes differ from the totals companies list in the summary compensation table of proxy statements filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.