Apple Tops Innovative Company List

[yzp]

Meanwhile, it was recently revealed by Forbes that despite an official $1/year salary, Apple's Steve Jobs is the highest compensated CEO in America this year at $646 million.

I don t care about that... His company's products, products, work great!

 

[zap2]

I wouldn't call a company that has released one hardware product for purchase so far this year innovative.
See here.

Mac Pro
AppleTV
iPod Shuffkes in Color
New Airport extreme base stations


All released this year!!


Not to mention Apple's a hardware/software company, so ignoring software as an area for innovation would be stupid, and ignoring more stuff Apple has worked on.


Also I'm never going to trust a source that doesn't know its iPhone not Iphone!

 

[mrrory]

Honestly, What the heck do you do with over $600 million? I mean, you would have to try REALLY hard to spend that much money. REALLY hard. Like, REALLY.

I could do it. Spending it year in and year out might be a little harder. But if someone dropped $600m into my account, I could make it disappear pretty quickly.

Who wants a mac?

 

[Rocketman]

If you read into the article, it becomes obvious that Steve Jobs did not receive any stock grants from Apple last year, or any pay beyond the $1 in salary, and that 100% of his "compensation" is appreciation of the value of stock he already holds. So as far as Apple stockholders are concerned, Jobs was paid far less than the advertised $646 million. In fact he was paid nothing.

What was the direct source for that?

It seems to me a stock appreciation is taxed at cap gains rates of 15% vs income tax rates of 55% net. That incentives not only more income as a magnitude, but more shifted to stock vs bonus, and also makes a diversity of recipients practical and desireable.

That's good for Americans.

If the iPhone were to "outsell expectations", one would EXPECT a stock split and maybe even a one time dividend ala Microsoft. What would Apple have to pay IN CASH to outdo Microsoft's dividend on a per share basis?

Rocketman

 

[Analog Kid]

Honestly, What the heck do you do with over $600 million? I mean, you would have to try REALLY hard to spend that much money. REALLY hard. Like, REALLY.

What's a really big Xserve cluster go for these days?

I often wonder how much I'd give away if I was worth that. I think, quite a lot.

With two companies and a family, I suspect he has trouble finding time to figure out where to give it away to... Why do you think Gates just spun it all into one big donation to a foundation charged with figuring out where to give it away to? For most of these people, I think the donations are suggested by their tax accountants.

The federal and state governments get almost as much of that as he does and they performed no work.

Rocketman

Sorry? You walking to work across the fields? Living someplace with out police or fire protection? Skip school? Live outside the US military umbrella?

You may not like how all of your tax dollars are spent, but it's not like the government is some ancient king counting his gold coin. Currently the government is doing more work than they're being paid for while we promise our kids will pay them back later...

 

[spotlight07]

But why should they be compensated so highly if the movie is lame and does not meet up to it's standards of being entertaining. - ie. the "bizarre and clumsily plotted, "Gigli" is a mess. As for its stars, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez lack chemistry." (http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/gigli/about.php#consensus) IF I went to see that, I should have been given a full refund if I asked!

Reminds me of Little Rascals "Pay As You Exit"

Back on topic though, no amount of money could thank Jobs for the turnaround job he did for Apple, IMHO.

 

[IJ Reilly]

What was the direct source for that?

The tables here, which are a bit confusing, but by my reading indicate that his compensation is in gains from exercising vested stock options. Apple also pays the costs for operating his bizjet, which may also be included in this figure as "perks," but it's difficult to be certain.

 

[Rocketman]

Mac Pro
AppleTV
iPod Shuffles in Color
New Airport extreme base stations
All released this year!!

iPhone consumes considerable software, hardware, marketing and FULFILLMENT resources (labor, goods, real estate, capital).

 

[Rocketman]

Sorry? You walking to work across the fields? Living someplace with out police or fire protection? Skip school? Live outside the US military umbrella?

You may not like how all of your tax dollars are spent, but it's not like the government is some ancient king counting his gold coin. Currently the government is doing more work than they're being paid for while we promise our kids will pay them back later...

The gas tax (a separate tax from the income tax and capital gains taxes Steve pays) pays for roads.

Let's say they are performing some work. They are doing less work for more money and at a large societal cost due to BOTH cost overruns and budget overruns, than even the worst civilian work provider. Privatize everything. In the mean time 1/2-2/3 of the budget is actually squandered, so I designate a significant portion of what Apple and Jobs pays in to the Federal and State governments for tax on income as "no work".

No I am not just whining either. I know how to fix it.

Rocketman

 

[D*I*S_Frontman]

Keep in mind that this is "virtual" money he has earned. If Steve cashed out all of his stocks, he might get that today--and then pay the most wicked capital gains tax bill you've ever seen.

Then again, if the market took a massive "digger", Steve could lose a couple hundred million overnight. I, for one, think that this is a fantastic way to compensate CEOs and CFOs. Pay 'em in company stock. If they make stupid decisions that negatively impact the company's standing, they eat some of the loss themselves. Rip some holes in the silk of those "golden parachutes."

But, then again, if a CEOs administration takes a company into incredible new markets and results in huge growth and stockholder earnings, then the CEO should see a proportional reward for his/her visionary leadership.

$1 million in stock options could mean $100 million a year in compensation, or $1 million--depending on what happens to the value of the company, which is precisely what a CEO is responsible for. Sounds like a great feedback loop to me.

I wish all major Fortune 500 companies operated this way. If boards had the guts to negotiate contracts like the one between Apple and Jobs, we'd hear no more complaining about "excessive CEO compensation" from shareholders or the public at large.

 

[Westside guy]

This list is whack.

I can see why Apple and Google are on there - but most of those companies are just there because they're big companies. I doubt most of the people surveyed really thought about their answers. The actual article talks about "sustained innovation" - what has Microsoft done that's truly innovative in the past, say, decade? Boeing has fallen to second-place behind Airbus largely because they don't know how to innovate. DaimlerChrysler's only "innovation" is how they're trying to sell off Chrysler to stem the financial hemorrhage. Ikea was innovative... 20 years ago. Dell's getting credit for exactly one idea - its business model was innovative when it started up; but it hasn't exactly kept the trend going, and is definitely more of a follower than a leader nowadays.

 

[Cult Follower]

I guess this was no real suprise but congrats to apple anyway. No other company even comes close.

 

[twoodcc]

I wish my official salary was $1 a year but still racked in $646 million a year

yeah, me too!

but this goods news....and hopefully Apple will continue to be at the top of this list

 

[Rot'nApple]

My Guess...

Isn't there a minimum wage in the US? How does Steve get around this?

To answer your question, Steve is salaried not an hourly employer. His contract as CEO so designates his salary along with stock options and grants and other perks (like the private jet to zoom about to Special Apple Store Grand Openings, I guess, although not very environmentally friendly of Steve, considering he brought on Al "inconvenient truth" Gore to be on the Board of Directors at Apple! Don't even get me started with Al and his BS...

But that is my take on the answer to your question...

Now if Steve didn't have all those other perks and stock grants to embellish his $1/year pay and he was designated as hourly then he might fall under the minimum wage law requirements... But I feel the minimum wage is the government's feeble attempt to tell employers what to do! Before anybody get's their feathers in a huff, answer me this...

Everytime politics talk about raising the minimum wage because as it stands now it is a non livable wage and is why it should be increased, ever notice that the amount suggested, even by those pro for an increase, do not offer a livable wage increase! 5.15 to 7.25 over the next two years, full effect in 2009... Who amongst us can live off 7.25 or $13,920 a year? (7.25/hr x 8 hrs = 58.00 x 5 = 290.00 a week x 4 wks in a month = 1160.00 x 12 months in a year = 13,920 without any taxes taken out)

Definitely wouldn't be able to buy NEW Apple products, maybe refurbs?!

And why 7.25? Why not 10.00/hr? Why not 20.00/hr? Well you can't have 10.00 or 20.00 an hour they say! If the purpose is to create the lowest mandate an employer can pay an employee and have it be a livable wage, WHY NOT?! It's all rubbish disguised as an attempt to help the little people. HA!

 

[MikeTheC]

Well, Steve Jobs may be "leading the way" in terms of the dollar figure of CEO compensation, but at least unlike Bob Nardelli he actually did something to justify it.

 

[drumforfun19]

Simple fact is, Steve deserves every red cent of the money that he makes. Ford's CEO makes 28 million a quarter, how well is ford off financially? Steve took a company that was on the brink of oblivion, and through determination and brilliant leadership, made it one of the finest tech companies in the world. I wouldn't care if that were being paid in cash.

I'm pretty sure this guy is steve jobs and he joined the mac forum to talk himself up. next you know he's going to say "I think steve should get a raise."

but seriously, that would be funny if all steve jobs did all day was read through the mac forums like "do they like me? They think I get paid too much!?!?"

 

[Counter]

I think Steve should get paid a lot more. My contributions to Apple's bottom line don't seem insignificant enough yet.

 

[Dustman]

yay apple! boo microsoft!