Deutsche Bank's supervisory board chairman, Alexander Wynaendts, is set to receive a significant pay raise to €1.15 million annually, sparking controversy. Despite the bank's complex operations and past scandals, its profitability lags behind top European competitors, making such high executive compensation questionable.
The head honcho thinks splurging nearly $10 on a beverage during a cost-of-living crisis is fine for a ‘special experience’. It’s time to offer my own valuable adviceI don’t mean to vent, but what is up with Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol’s obscenely large compensation package? Niccol, who joined the company in 2024, is one of the best-paid executives in the US, raking in $96m (£70m) in just his first four months on the job. The man makes 6,666 times more than the company’s typical employee, according to a 2025 Executive Paywatch report. He also regularly commutes to work via private jet. Can’t expect a strategic genius to live next to the office like the rest of the hoi polloi.Still, while he might be good at flogging drinks, Niccol apparently has trouble reading a room. As the cost of living surges, and the federal minimum wage remains at $7.25, the CEO is getting roasted for calling a $9 coffee “a really affordable premium experience”. Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, Niccol noted that the K-shaped economy, in which higher-income households are thriving and splurging while the bottom half struggles, isn’t really affecting business. Continue reading...
Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders approved a merger with Paramount Global, though they issued a rebuke over executive compensation. The deal now faces continued opposition from Hollywood A-list talent and heightened regulatory scrutiny.
Sale of vocational training brand and million-pound executive pay deals now subject to Charity Commission inquiryWhen electrician Charlie Butler was contacted by City & Guilds last autumn, he received a shock.He had branched out to launch a new company schooling future sparkies in Essex, offering City & Guilds-affiliated courses and qualifications. When the representative from the training charity called, Butler was expecting a quick conversation about a small uptick in the annual fees. Continue reading...
