Why do CFOs make the bling?

Stiganator

Platinum Member
Oct 14, 2001
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I've noticed the CFOs of companies always make a crap ton more than anyone else what gives?
 

junkerman123

Golden Member
Jul 4, 2003
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The chief financial officer assigns all the salaries! Duh! Seriously though, I'm pretty sure most CEO's make more than CFO's in terms of base salary, unless they are combo CEO/CFO's.
 

cKGunslinger

Lifer
Nov 29, 1999
16,408
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Umm.. they help the companies make tons of money, and for doing so, they get a portion of said money.
 

Taggart

Diamond Member
Apr 23, 2001
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Beause they are in a senior management position and run the finances of the company, duh.
 

aplefka

Lifer
Feb 29, 2004
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You just balance money and salaries and stuff? Man, sounds easy, sign me up. How do you become one?
 

Mani

Diamond Member
Aug 9, 2001
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A CFO, unlike many other executives can easily quantify his value in terms of savings to the company, ability to massage numbers to achieve favorable financial results, etc. so they can easily make a case for more money. E.G. "I saved the company xxx which paid my salary 10-fold right there".
 

nakedfrog

No Lifer
Apr 3, 2001
62,785
18,978
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Originally posted by: aplefka
You just balance money and salaries and stuff? Man, sounds easy, sign me up. How do you become one?

Kiss the right asses for ten or twenty years.
 

Scarpozzi

Lifer
Jun 13, 2000
26,391
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The other side though....CEOs usually make more bonuses, etc. That's where the real money is.
 

Argo

Lifer
Apr 8, 2000
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Originally posted by: Stiganator
I've noticed the CFOs of companies always make a crap ton more than anyone else what gives?

Because if there's a problem with company's finances CFO is usually the one who goes to jail. More risk equals more money.
 

MustISO

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
11,927
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What I don't understand is why CEO's make so much money. They do a lot less work than the little guys.
 

cKGunslinger

Lifer
Nov 29, 1999
16,408
57
91
Originally posted by: MustISO
What I don't understand is why CEO's make so much money. They do a lot less work than the little guys.

In your opinion. How many 23-year-old Liberal Arts majors do you think are CEOs of successful businesses? Most are older, experience employees, many of whom have worked their way up through ranks over decades, who have been shown to possess remarkable leadership abilities and strategic business decisions. Just because they wear a suit and fly around a lot does not mean they aren't the product of hard work.
 

theNEOone

Diamond Member
Apr 22, 2001
5,745
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Originally posted by: cKGunslinger
Originally posted by: MustISO
What I don't understand is why CEO's make so much money. They do a lot less work than the little guys.

In your opinion. How many 23-year-old Liberal Arts majors do you think are CEOs of successful businesses? Most are older, experience employees, many of whom have worked their way up through ranks over decades, who have been shown to possess remarkable leadership abilities and strategic business decisions. Just because they wear a suit and fly around a lot does not mean they aren't the product of hard work.
well said.


=|
 

Mani

Diamond Member
Aug 9, 2001
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Originally posted by: MustISO
What I don't understand is why CEO's make so much money. They do a lot less work than the little guys.

Few CEOs had their jobs handed to them. Most started out as "little guys" at some point.
 

mb

Lifer
Jun 27, 2004
10,233
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The CEOs & CFOs I know put in a lot of hours for the money they make. Some work 6 days a week at 10-12 hours a day. They take many business trips and have to spend a lot of time away from their family. Their jobs come with a lot of responsibilty and they have had to prove their competence over many years to get where they are, and they have to stay sharp to keep their position.
 

Azurik

Platinum Member
Jan 23, 2002
2,206
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Originally posted by: MustISO
What I don't understand is why CEO's make so much money. They do a lot less work than the little guys.

No, they don't. They work just as long (a lot longer in most cases) than a typical employee dies. Most employees do the grunt work the CEO and said executives envisioned and wanted to execute.

Try to command an army without leaders and see how far they get.
 

TechBoyJK

Lifer
Oct 17, 2002
16,699
60
91
Originally posted by: cKGunslinger
Originally posted by: MustISO
What I don't understand is why CEO's make so much money. They do a lot less work than the little guys.

In your opinion. How many 23-year-old Liberal Arts majors do you think are CEOs of successful businesses? Most are older, experience employees, many of whom have worked their way up through ranks over decades, who have been shown to possess remarkable leadership abilities and strategic business decisions. Just because they wear a suit and fly around a lot does not mean they aren't the product of hard work.

they get paid for decision making under pressure. Its about integrity.
 

dr150

Diamond Member
Sep 18, 2003
6,570
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B/c they have direct access to the till.


Also these guys came from Wall St. so companies need to pay them bank to entice them to switch over from their existig lucrative career.
 

daniel1113

Diamond Member
Jun 6, 2003
6,448
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If my dad is any measure of a standard CFO, it's because they work damn hard. He easily does more work than anyone else in his company, both in terms of output and time.
 

DT4K

Diamond Member
Jan 21, 2002
6,944
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Originally posted by: MustISO
What I don't understand is why CEO's make so much money. They do a lot less work than the little guys.

Umm, no offense, but you are an idiot. CEO's are responsible for EVERYTHING that happens in a company. They make so much money because it is their leadership and their decisions that determine whether the company is successful or not. It's not about how hard you work either. It's about how much your skills and talents are valued. If salary was based on effort, strawberry pickers would make more than anyone. If you have the talent and skills to lead a company to make millions of dollars in profit, then you are worth a lot of money to that company and you will be well paid.

A better question for you to ask would be "why do CEO's who suck and lead a company to financial ruin still always seem to get hired by other companies?"
 

her209

No Lifer
Oct 11, 2000
56,336
11
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Originally posted by: Mani
Originally posted by: MustISO
What I don't understand is why CEO's make so much money. They do a lot less work than the little guys.
Few CEOs had their jobs handed to them. Most started out as "little guys" at some point.
I have no problems with people who work hard and make the right decisions. Its when they make bad decisions, the little guy gets the axe.