# Those bonuses **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 24, 2009, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-bonuses/490657 "2009-03-24T22:35:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2009, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-bonuses/490657/1 "2009-03-24T22:35:32Z")
I am putting this in IMHO and not GD precisely because I want to solicit opinions, not start a debate. After thinking about it for a while, I am of the opinion that the argument is not trivial and to point out that the bonuses represented only about .1% of the bailout misses an important point, even leaving out the symbolism. The people who accepted the bonuses are the same people who piloted AIG into the ground. Strike one against them. It is said that they are the only ones who understand the business. But these top executives move from company to company at the drop of a hat (or of a check, maybe). They have demonstrated their incompetence and if they are capable of moving the company into the black, promise them bounuses if and when that happens. In accepting the bonuses, they demonstrate that the are still fully-fledged members of the “me” generation. I solicit your opinions. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2009, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-bonuses/490657/2 "2009-03-24T23:01:18Z")
In some cases, the bonuses were in lieu of a years pay, and were under $100,000. I don’t see anything wrong with a worker getting a modest bonus. But those megabuck bonuse for the dudes who led the company astray are what sticks in my craw. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-bonuses/490657/3 "2009-03-25T00:46:23Z")
As the head of AIG explained it… the people who drove the company into the ground are gone. The people who earned the bonuses got them because they agreed to stay behind and help wrap up the portfolios. They were the most knowledgeable, and as part of getting the company out of the mess, they needed to keep them around to finish up the work. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-bonuses/490657/4 "2009-03-25T01:22:46Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > As the head of AIG explained it… > > the people who drove the company into the ground are gone. The people who earned the bonuses got them because they agreed to stay behind and help wrap up the portfolios. They were the most knowledgeable, and as part of getting the company out of the mess, they needed to keep them around to finish up the work. More than a million dollars for a years work??:dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-bonuses/490657/5 "2009-03-25T01:49:20Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > More than a million dollars for a years work??:dubious: [QUOTE=From the OP] I am putting this in IMHO and not GD precisely because I want to solicit opinions, not start a debate. [/QUOTE] Let’s try to keep this on track, o.k.? ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-bonuses/490657/6 "2009-03-25T02:30:21Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > More than a million dollars for a years work??:dubious: We pay Congress about $90 million a year and they can’t manage to read a trillion dollar budget because \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_(fill in your favorite excuse). The AIG group was tasked with specific goals. A contract was negotiated. They recovered 1.2 trillion dollars and were paid per their contract. If anyone should give money back it should be Congress. ---
**Author:** ![threemae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f9b8f/32.png) [@threemae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/threemae)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-bonuses/490657/7 "2009-03-25T12:58:46Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > The AIG group was tasked with specific goals. A contract was negotiated. They recovered 1.2 trillion dollars and were paid per their contract. I tend to agree with **Magiver’s** take on it. Here’s an excellent opinion piece from today’s New York Times which does a great job of presenting the appropriateness of the bonuses from the perspective of someone who received one: [http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/25/opinion/25desantis.html?pagewanted=all](http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/25/opinion/25desantis.html?pagewanted=all) I’m fairly sympathetic. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2009, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/those-bonuses/490657/8 "2009-03-25T14:18:39Z")
> [@threemae](#): > > I tend to agree with **Magiver’s** take on it. > > Here’s an excellent opinion piece from today’s New York Times which does a great job of presenting the appropriateness of the bonuses from the perspective of someone who received one: > [http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/25/opinion/25desantis.html?pagewanted=all](http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/25/opinion/25desantis.html?pagewanted=all) > > I’m fairly sympathetic. The problem is that everyone looks at AIG or any other corporation as a single monolitic entity and they usually aren’t run like that.