AIG高層造反，絞殺還是招安？

今天的《華爾街日報》報道說，美國國際集團的五位“老總”在抱怨，由於公司需要美國政府代表納稅人出錢救助，有意壓低了他們“應該”獲得的高薪。“不高興”，威脅要辭職。

作為美國政府，我們這些納稅人的代表，對於這種公然的挑釁，我們是應該絞殺還是遷就？

美國的職業經理人付酬過高，一直就是不少人在批評的美國惡症。而這種毒瘤的形成，有在很大程度上得益於美國繁榮的上市公司制度，讓這些職業經理人可以在股東不感到巨痛的情況下，小塊割肉。

這種制度鼓勵了職業經理人的短期行為，也導致了個人貪婪心的惡性膨脹。而又是這種膨脹，導致了這次的金融危機和一次次新的危機。

對於我，我堅決支持絞殺行為。因為，既然巴菲特都認為那些人得益太多，既然格林伯格在領導美國國際集團幾十年期間，不依靠巨額的獎金反倒是能夠打造出一個世界數一數二的金融航母，那麼，就會有後來者，能夠在相對而言“低薪”的環境下，再造一個優秀的美國國際集團出來的。

直到目前為止，如果沒有政府的救助，美國國際集團可能還是沒有繼續生存的資格。對於這樣一家公司，你當然可以說，那不是目前這些職業經理人的過錯，他們不應該為此承擔責任。

是的，沒有錯。

“那麼，他們完全可以選擇走人，另尋高就。”這就是格林伯格的意思。

靠金錢是買不到忠誠的。

企業長期的繁榮到底需不需要忠誠？

能不能有一種企業管理制度存在，能夠獲得職業經理人對企業的忠誠？

對於企業長遠利益的關注？

如果將已經慣壞了的美國職業經理人階層的行為進行必要的制約，讓他們更加現實一點，可能對於美國，得益的還不僅僅是股東，還有美國這個國家。

上帝保佑美國。

【附錄】

Top AIG execs threaten to quit over pay, WSJ says

By Alistair Barr
Dec 7, 2009 12:42:00 (ET)

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Five top American International Group executives threatened to quit recently in the latest spat over compensation at the government-owned insurer, the Wall Street Journal reported Monday.

Anastasia Kelly, general counsel of AIG (AIG, Trade ); Rodney Martin, head of one of AIG's international life insurance businesses; William Dooley, who runs the financial-services division including AIG Financial Products; Nicholas Walsh, vice chairman and head of the international property and casualty unit; and John Doyle, who runs the U.S. property and casualty division, said in written notices Dec. 1 that they're willing to leave by the end of 2009, the newspaper said.

The executives are also trying to preserve their ability to collect severance payments if they leave, the WSJ added, citing unidentified people familiar with the matter.

Kelly, who's been AIG's top lawyer since 2006, asked other employees to join her in threatening to resign. Martin, Dooley, Walsh and Doyle agreed and Kelly hired an outside attorney to advise the group on their legal options, the newspaper said. However, Walsh and Doyle withdrew their threats this past weekend, the Journal added.

Christina Pretto, a spokeswoman for AIG, and Meg Reilly, a spokeswoman for the Treasury Department, declined to comment.

This is the latest spat over executive compensation at AIG since the insurer was bailed out by the government last year. More than $180 billion of taxpayer money was committed to save the company.

Restrictions on executive pay came along with government help. Kenneth Feinberg was appointed as the government's so-called Pay Czar to oversee executive compensation at companies that received the biggest bailouts, including AIG, Citigroup (C, Trade ) and Bank of America (BAC, Trade ).

In October, Feinberg cut 2009 compensation for AIG's top 13 employees by 57%, including limiting most base salaries to no more than $500,000. Another 12 top employees had already left before the review began, according to the WSJ.

Feinberg is expected to rule on the pay of the next 75 highest-paid AIG employees within the next two weeks. Kelly, Martin, Dooley, Walsh and Doyle fall into this category, the paper noted.

Under AIG's executive-severance plan, set up before the insurer was saved by the government, some executives can get severance if they resign for "good reason," which includes significant cuts in their annual base salary or target bonus, the Journal said.

Kelly, Martin, Dooley, Walsh and Doyle claim this provision of the severance plan applies to their current situation, the newspaper reported, citing one person familiar with the plan.