Tobacco CEO Pay and Tobacco Prevention: A Tale of Two Payouts
April 08, 2011
How do big pay packages for top tobacco executives stack up against state funding for programs to keep kids from smoking and help smokers quit?
It's a lopsided mismatch that the tobacco execs win. Guess the lifestyles of the Big Tobacco Execs are worth more than the health of our kids.
Last month, Tobacco Unfiltered told you about the combined $23 million earned last year by two Reynolds' American executives — former CEO Susan Ivey and her replacement, Daniel M. Delen.
The Associated Press just reported that Lorillard's former chief executive, Martin Orlowsky, pulled down a cool $18.8 million in 2010 — a 90 percent increase over fiscal 2009. Murray Kessler, who replaced Orlowsky as CEO in September, received $3.7 million for 2010.
And this just in: Michael E. Szymanczyk, chief of Marlboro maker Altria Group Inc., pulled in $20.7 million. That's more than double his compensation in 2009.
The total compensation for these five executives was $66.5 million. That is more than any single state except California will spend on tobacco prevention in fiscal year 2011. In fact, it's more than the 24 worst states on prevention spend combined. Even poor old Susan Ivey's paltry $16.8 million surpasses the amount spent by 43 of the 50 states.
Moreover:
46 states and DC each spent less than Szymanczyk's $20.7 million in compensation
44 states and DC each spent less than Orlowsky's $18.8 million in compensation
43 states and DC each spent less than Ivey's $16.8 million in compensation
22 states and DC each spent less than Delen's $6.5 million in compensation
16 states and DC each spent less than Kessler's $3.7 million in compensation
With Big Tobacco execs making more money than most of our states spend on tobacco prevention, is it any wonder our progress in reducing tobacco use is stalling?
State tobacco prevention spending versus Big Tobacco CEO Pay
Nevada | $0 |
New Hampshire | $0 |
Ohio | $0 |
Missouri | $60,000 |
Tennessee | $222,268 |
Connecticut | $400,000 |
District of Columbia | $569,000 |
New Jersey | $600,000 |
Rhode Island | $735,095 |
Alabama | $860,000 |
Kansas | $1.0 million |
Idaho | $1.5 million |
Georgia | $2.0 million |
Kentucky | $2.6 million |
Michigan | $2.6 million |
Nebraska | $2.9 million |
South Dakota | $3.5 million |
| Murray Kessler | $3.7 million received as CEO of Lorillard, Inc. |
Maryland | $4.3 million |
Massachusetts | $4.5 million |
Vermont | $4.5 million |
South Carolina | $5.0 million |
Wyoming | $5.4 million |
West Virginia | $5.7 million |
| Daniel Delen | $6.5 million received as CEO of Reynolds American |
Wisconsin | $6.9 million |
New Mexico | $7.0 million |
Colorado | $7.0 million |
Oregon | $7.1 million |
Utah | $7.1 million |
Iowa | $7.3 million |
North Dakota | $8.2 million |
Delaware | $8.3 million |
Montana | $8.4 million |
Louisiana | $9.0 million |
Indiana | $9.2 million |
Hawaii | $9.3 million |
Virginia | $9.4 million |
Illinois | $9.5 million |
Alaska | $9.8 million |
Maine | $9.9 million |
Mississippi | $9.9 million |
Texas | $11.4 million |
Arkansas | $11.8 million |
Washington | $13.4 million |
Pennsylvania | $14.7 million |
| Susan Ivey | $16.8 million received as CEO of Reynolds American, Inc. |
North Carolina | $18.3 million |
| Martin Orlowsky | $18.8 million received as CEO of Lorillard, Inc. |
Minnesota | $19.6 million |
Arizona | $19.8 million |
| Michael Szymanczyk | $20.7 million received as CEO of Altria. |
Oklahoma | $21.7 million |
New York | $58.4 million |
Florida | $61.6 million |
California | $75.0 million |