WSJ: DaVita's Thiry is highest-paid Colorado CEO
Denver Business Journal - by Mark Harden
Date: Monday, May 9, 2011, 8:31am MDT - Last Modified: Monday, May 9, 2011, 8:37am MDT
Kent Thiry, chief executive of kidney-dialysis company DaVita Inc., is the highest-paid CEO of a public company in Colorado, according to a Wall Street Journal ranking Monday.
Thiry received $13.83 million in total direct compensation in fiscal 2010, up 20.8 percent from 2009, the Journal estimates. That includes $1.02 million in base salary, $3.325 million in annual incentives, $4.73 million in stock option grants and $4.755 in restricted stock grants.
Beyond direct compensation, Thiry of Denver-based DaVita (NYSE: DVA) received $291,500 in "other compensation" and use of personal aircraft valued at $287,400 for 2010, the Journal says.
The Journal's ranking is of the 350 biggest U.S. public companies and is based on a review of company proxy statements by Hay Group. Direct compensation includes salaries, bonuses and long-term incentive awards.
No. 2 in Colorado on the Journal's list is CEO Michael Fries of international cable company Liberty Global Inc. (Nasdaq: LBTYA), with 2010 direct compensation at $11.798 million, up 361 percent from 2009.
Other Colorado CEOs on the list, and their fiscal 2010 total direct compensation:
-- Richard O'Brien of Newmont Mining Corp. (NYSE: NEM) -- $11.362 million.
-- R. David Hoover of Ball Corp. (NYSE: BLL) -- $8.413 million.
-- Charlie Ergen of Dish Network Corp. (Nasdaq: DISH) -- $600,000.
Topping the overall Journal ranking of CEO compensation is Philippe Dauman of Viacom, a media company that owns Paramount Pictures and several cable networks, including MTV and BET. Dauman's direct compensation in 2010 totaled $84.3 million.
Dauman is followed by Larry Ellison of Oracle ($68.6 million), Leslie Moonves of CBS ($53.9 million), Martin Franklin of Jarden ($45.2 million) and Michael White of DirecTV ($32.6 million).
Overall, the median amount of CEO compensation for the nation's 350 largest public companies rose 11 percent in 2010, to $9.3 million, the Journal reports.
http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/news/2011/05/09/wsj-davitas-thiry-is-highest-paid.html