Puzzling over your pension statements and worried about chomping your way through this year’s tax return?

Spare a thought for poor old Sam Palmisano, chairman and CEO at IBM. AP reports (http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/070312/ibm_executive_compensation.html) that Palmisano picked up “compensation” of $18.8m this year, according to latest filings at the SEC (http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/51143/000110465907018159/a07-6250_1def14a.htm).

AP said it arrived at the final figure by taking into account Palmisano’s salary ($1.75m) and incentive ($5m) and then adding in all those little extras – like stock equivalents, pension payments, and travel.

This may or may not have been news for Sam himself, who presumably signs off on IBM’s accounts. According to IBM’s own figures, Palmisano’s payout came to $24.46m. Either way, he is well ahead of his fellow directors, who are all scraping along on a measly $6m odd per year.®

Related stories

IBM jumps on board the mortgage ship (27 March 2007)
http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2007/03/27/ibm_mortgage_service/
IBM and Cisco say 'call us for emergency service' (20 March 2007)
http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2007/03/20/ibm_cisco_emergency/
Stuffed investors refuse IBM's chipper Q4 (19 January 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/01/19/ibm_q4_2006/
IBM boss parachutes into virtual Devil's Island (10 November 2006)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/11/10/palmisano_second_life/
IBM serves mixed grill in Q4 (18 January 2006)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/01/18/ibm_q4/
IBM evens the keel in Q2 (19 July 2005)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/07/19/ibm_q2_2005/