Fadell gets $300,000 golden handcuffs Apple deal
Ex-iPod boss given bulky annual 'shut-up' salary
Posted in Financial News, 6th November 2008 13:27 GMT
Tune into our application security webcast, click here
The former iPod daddy Tony Fadell will receive a hefty payout in his new “consultancy” role at Apple – where he’s also required to keep schtum about the company’s secrets.
A US Securities and Exchange Commission 10-k filing has revealed that Fadell will be paid an annual salary of $300,000 until 24 March 2010 in his new role as advisor to Steve Jobs. He’ll also get a bonus and health benefits under the deal.
But there is a caveat: Fadell is expected to stay firmly on Apple turf and to ignore any rivals that might be sniffing around him for clues about the firm's ubiquitous MP3 player and its technology.
On Tuesday Apple confirmed that Fadell, who is credited as being the key player in the development of the iPod, was stepping down from his job as boss of the MP3 player division for personal reasons.
Apparently he wants to spend more time with his young kids and wife, Danielle Lambert, who is also set to leave her veep HR post at Apple at the end of this year.
Apple has already caused consternation at IBM after it poached Big Blue veteran Mark Papermaster from its rival.
IBM filed a lawsuit against Papermaster, who is set to replace Fadell, on 22 October in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York in which it alleged that he was “privy to a whole host of trade secrets and confidences” used by IBM to design products. No, the irony isn't lost on us either. ®
See what The Register's experts have to say on application security


The future of SaaS and IT infrastructure management
Solving on-premise email challenges with on-demand services
The business case for application security
Reducing messaging and web security costs with managed services

Win a Samsung C6625!
Is your cameraphone an oxymoron?
Reg Mobile and Wireless newsletter is go! go! go!
Sign up, sign up for The Register IT security newsletter