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Equifax CEO Richard Smith Who Oversaw Breach To Collect $90 Million (fortune.com)

An anonymous reader shares a report: The CEO of Equifax is retiring from the credit reporting bureau with a pay day worth as much as $90 million -- or roughly 63 cents for every customer whose data was potentially exposed in its recent security breach. Richard Smith, 57, is the third Equifax executive to retire under pressure following the company's massive data breach revealed earlier this month, putting the personal information of as many as 143 million people at risk. Equifax said Tuesday that as a condition of Smith's retirement, he "irrevocably" forfeits any right to a bonus in 2017, an amount that under normal circumstances would have totaled more than $3 million -- the bonus he received in 2016 -- according to the company's retirement policy. But the CEO is still set to collect about $72 million this year alone (including nine months' worth of his $1,450,000 salary), plus another $17.9 million over the next few years. That's when the rest of Smith's stock compensation hits a few important milestones or "vests," allowing Smith to essentially put it in his bank account. Altogether, it adds up to a total potential paycheck of more than $90.1 million, according to Fortune's calculations based on Equifax securities filings.

5 of 170 comments (clear)

  1. Stock recovering by 110010001000 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    The stock is recovering nicely. This would probably be a good time to invest as it is selling at about a 40% discount.

  2. Re:Nothing to see here by PolygamousRanchKid+ · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Not saying his transactions are or aren't overtly suspicious, but significant profits amidst potentially massive losses for so many make one look like a complete douche.

    But that's the gag with totally royal douchebags . . . they don't really care if they look like one.

    See Darl McBride for an excellent example. If Microsoft pays you a pile of cash in the Cayman Islands, what do you care what other folks think of you . . . ?

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    Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!
  3. Look at it this way... by rickb928 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    It's cheaper than keeping him.

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    deleting the extra space after periods so i can stay relevant, yeah.
  4. CLAW BACK by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Claw back the bonuses for the last several years.
    If the stock tanks, he should not get any benefits!

  5. Customers??? by jenningsthecat · · Score: 4, Interesting

    ... roughly 63 cents for every customer whose data was potentially exposed in its recent security breach.

    A customer is someone who purchases a commodity or service. The vast majority of those put at risk by Equifax's fuckup were in no way "customers". Unless they were capable of purchasing EVERYTHING using cash, or opting out of mainstream society and living off the grid altogether, they had no true choice in the matter of whether or not their personal data was under Equifax care. Calling them customers implies that they were partly responsible for their misfortune because in having chosen to deal with an irresponsible vendor; the fact is that they are simply victims of a too-powerful company's careless disregard for its responsibilities and obligations.

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    'The Economy' is a giant Ponzi scheme whose most pitiable suckers are the youngest among us and the yet-unborn.