The velocity of change on this issue is tremendous. It's definitely spreading quickly. |
There is still a lot of anger out there, but people have taken notice of what the board has already been doing. |
There were definitely some that went closer to saying, 'Don't blame me,' as opposed to saying, 'This is the process,' ... I think that probably should set off more red flags as the language got stronger. |
There's so many other founders — the main one being down the coast, with [Oracle founder] Larry Ellison — who have a great deal of money as well, but still pay themselves massive amounts by options every year. |
This is not a right-left, Republican-Democrat, man-woman, old-young issue. Everybody thinks, with some very limited exceptions, that CEOs are overpaid, and because of that, shareholders aren't getting adequate bang for their buck. |
This is particularly the case if a dissident is seeking control of the board or a substantial number of seats - an alternative strategy and plan for creating value at the company is going to be a key element of our evaluation. |
Time Warner is pulling out the heavy guns, there's no doubt they are taking this seriously. This counter-point situation is quite similar to a political campaign, where both sides have a war room. One side is lining out a strategy and the other is responding. |
Very few educational institutions have filed corporate governance or social responsibility proxy proposals at publicly traded companies in recent years. The reason for this is not clear—although the general decline in campus protest efforts is sometimes cited as the cause. |
We felt the primary problem at this company was with the cash bonus program. |
When Warren is gone, the market will start demanding coverage. People will want a lot deeper level of analysis. |
While these payments may seem eye-popping, it seems more closely aligned with the company's performance and is less likely to raise the ire of shareholders than in years past. |