Stocks Fall; Bank CEO's Still Paid Well (for 12/31/11)

2011 was not a good year for bank stocks. But, their leaders still got paid lavishly. JP Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon will get nearly $42 million in total 2011 pay, even has his bank's stock declined 23%. Brian Moynihan will still get $2.26 million even though his bank's stock is now only 40% what it was at the start of the year. Lloyd Blankfein, Goldman Sachs CEO, will get $21.7 million even though its stock fell nearly 50%. Stock options and the expectations of the market for the next year often explain why their pay keeps rising. http://www.cnbc.com/id/45817416

2010 CEO Pay in U.S. Up 27-40% (for 12/15/11)

American CEOs saw their pay rise between 27 and 40 percent in 2010. Meanwhile, inflation outpaced pay raises for most Americans. Median stock options profits increased from $950,400 to $1.3 million for CEOs. The ten biggest CEO paychecks amounted to over $770 million. Executives at General Growth Properties, even as this firm recovers from bankruptcy, received nearly $115 million in 2010 bonuses. http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/dec/14/executive-pay-increase-america-ceos