Microsoft Reports Executive Salaries

Microsoft reports executive salaries, bonuses Robert Bach, president of Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices division, was the company's highest-paid executive in fiscal year 2009, taking home $6.24 million in salary, cash incentives and stock, Microsoft reported a financial filing Tuesday.

CEO Steve Ballmer was, out of Redmond's five executive officers, the lowest-paid with $1.27 million total, according to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing. That was about $700,000 less than he was paid in fiscal year 2008. Ballmer's base salary was $665,833. He received $600,000 more in cash incentive payments. Here's a chart of the top five executives' compensation, as reported by Microsoft. Executive

Steve Ballmer CEO

Chris Liddell CFO

Robert Bach Pres., EDD

Stephen Elop Pres., MBD

Kevin Turner COO

Base salary

Cash incentives

Stock awards

Total

FY2009 FY2008

2009 2008

2009 2008

2009 2008

665,833 640,833

600,000 700,000

N/A N/A

1,265,833 1,340,833

561,667 541,667

595,018 420,000

2,379,982 3,828,668

3,536,667 4,790,335

641,667 620,833

1,120,010 675,000

4,479,990 6,988,861

6,241,667 8,284,694

641,667 279,948*

840,008 275,000*

3,359,992 3,483,535

4,841,667 4,038,483

641,667 620,833

952,019 1,000,000

3,807,981 6,988,861

5,401,667 8,609,694

* Elop was hired in January 2008, midway through fiscal year 2008. Because of that, he was the only one of the five who made more money in FY2009 than FY2008. A Microsoft spokesperson said the compensations are generally lower because of the tough financial year. For FY 2009, Microsoft reported a 29 percent year-over-year drop in profit and a 17 percent drop in revenue. The company also paid nearly $5.4 million in relocation expenses when it hired Elop. Microsoft purchased his house in California and assisted paying for his family's temporary housing in Washington. "We agreed to purchase his former home at a price equal to the average of three independent appraisals because he was unable to sell the home within a mutually agreed time," Microsoft's SEC filing states. "We also agreed with Mr. Elop that if the appraisal resulted in a loss on the sale of his prior home, we would pay him the difference between his home purchase price (adjusted for improvements) over the appraised value. Because of the precipitous decline in the California housing market during this period, the price at which the house ultimately sold was significantly below Mr. Elop's purchase price adjusted for improvements."