Profits at big U.S. companies broke records last year, and so did pay for CEOs. The head of a typical public company made $9.6 million in 2011, according to an analysis by the AP using data from Equilar, an executive pay research firm.
There's a new contender for the dumbest CEO crown: Robert Stiller, the now ex-chairman of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters. And the stupid mistake that cost him his job -- and a lot of money -- was an investing choice that you might be making too.
Chesapeake Energy CEO Aubrey McClendon resigned his post as chairman Tuesday, and will end his participation in a hugely lucrative and highly questionable investment deal 18 months early. But if you think that means he's turning over a new leaf, let's drill a little deeper ...
Whatever else you say about Chesapeake Energy CEO Aubrey McClendon, he's no slave to public opinion. He does what he wants, no matter how sleazy it sounds -- and no matter how much money it costs him or his company's shareholders.