Big Bucks for Bentonville Bosses

The Democrat-Gazette reported today that four Wal-Mart bosses are among the 10 highest-paid corporate executives in Arkansas — Dr. Lee Scott at $23 million, John Menzer at $12.2 million, Michael Duke at $10.8 million and Eduardo Castro-Wright at $6.5 million. The $23 million paid to Dr. Scott was more than any other Arkansas public company executive received. In 2004, Tom Coughlin was the highest-paid Wal-Mart executive at $19 million plus unlimited gift cards.

Allowing for two weeks vacation and not deducting for playing golf, Dr. Scott’s hourly wage was $11,500 an hour. That is somewhat more than the hourly wage of most Wal-Mart employees. In fact, it is more than 1,000 times what the average "associate" gets paid and well over twice the national average for CEO/employee salary disparities.