Apple costs Steve Ballmer half his bonus
I’ll post this under “OLD News”, but hey, it’s new to me. According to AppleInsider, a recent proxy filing to the SEC by Microsoft revealed that the Redmond company’s Compensation Committee awarded Ballmer “only” half of his potential 2009 bonus. Of course, half is still 100% of his annual salary, but it COULD have been 200%, which should be a sobering wake up call to the sweaty CEO.
So, what caused Microsoft to slap Ballmer on his clammy wrist? Apparently “the unsuccessful launch of the Kin phone; loss of market share in the company’s mobile phone business; and the need for the company to pursue innovations to take advantage of new form factors.”
Ouch. Why didn’t they just say “Apple ate your lunch”? Not that Ballmer couldn’t stand to skip a few lunches. Well, I’m sure now that now that the iPhone is dead, Ballmer’s 2010 bonus should be secure.
oh boo hoo Mr. Balmer the Millions and Millions you make a year not good enough out on the street… stop crying :p
The guy just doesn’t get it. He thinks that every computer on the planet should be a Windows computer. That ship sailed a long time ago. He also doesn’t get that people buy iPads and iPhones because they are better, not because they are from Apple. People like Apple because they make great products; they don’t love the products because they’re made by Apple. If Apple made a Zune instead of an iPod, they would probably sell like Zunes. BTW, got to give Balmer credit where credit is due. He lost a ton of weight and got into shape and he has a fitness program at Microsoft to encourage others to do the same.
It’s really hard to believe that a man who could win the confidence of some of the richest people in the world comes off as so ignorant and out of touch.
Ballmer should move into my house for a week and learn why my WinTel is a doorstop.