Microsoft’s gender pay row boss receives $84m package for 2014

Microsoft has given its new boss Satya Nadella a pay package worth 84.3 million dollars. Most of it is in the form of long-term stock awards. A regulatory document shows the software giant’s chief executive (pictured above) received a salary for the fiscal year that ended on June 30 of $918,917 and a $3.6m bonus. He also was given stock awards worth nearly $79.8 but most of the payments will be made over several years. Microsoft said it had to change its pay structure because former CEOs Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer, were not given stock awards because they were already among Microsoft’s largest shareholders.

We are in fact in good shape. Men and women get paid equally at Microsoft.

Satya Nadella, the Microsoft Corp. (MSFT.O) chief executive

The Microsoft chief made headlines earlier this month with remarks he made at a women-in-computing conference, where he suggested that women do not need to ask for pay rises and should just trust that the system will give them what they are worth. The comment drew immediate criticism, although Mr Nadella later said he was repeating advice that he been given in his own career. He apologised and later announced in a companywide memo that all Microsoft workers would receive expanded training on how to foster an inclusive culture. The Associated Press formula for executive compensation calculates an executive’s total compensation during the last fiscal year by adding salary, bonuses, perks, above-market interest the company pays on deferred compensation and the estimated value of stock and stock options awarded during the year.

On face value, it appears there’s a gap, however when we compare for equal levels of experience, education and parallel job titles, the compensation gap disappears.

Maria Klawe, a Microsoft board member

Business Microsoft pay