it's good to be the king, if not a shareholder

corporate executives receive excessive compensation on a regular basis, sometimes even more when they do a bad job: jill barad's $50 million severance for messing up mattel, infamous dennis kozloski of tyco, etc.

despite public humiliation and even some legal proceedings, the gravy train continues through 2006.
furthermore, slate's daniel gross [who previously had a wacky journalists-are-underpaid story] points to the executive yacht purchase as a sign of bad things to come

When someone who's supposed to be looking out for public shareholders is instead mulling over wallpaper samples for staterooms, it's time to sell. The yacht has long been the classic indicator of someone who has so much money that he doesn't need to make any more. Unlike a jet, which can speed busy executives to their offices efficiently, a yacht has no useful purpose. And who has time to play with such an over-the-top toy? Someone who doesn't work weekends figuring out how to make money for other people.

another warning sign is the 'naming rights' money hole

¶ - nitish @ 9:19 AM