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Will $9.75m make you shut up?
When Microsoft convinced the Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA) to pull out of the European Commission’s anti trust case, the software company send the lobby group a thank you card with a check for $19.75 million.
The settlement was announced 8 November. As part of the deal, CCIA promised to drop its support for the case that is currently before the European Commission, as well as refrain from seeking review by the U.S. Supreme Court in its challenge to an earlier legal settlement between Microsoft and the US government.
Although the money was supposed to offset some of the CCIA’s legal costs, The Financial Times last week reported that $9.75m will actually be transferred to CCIA president Ed Black. In addition to the bonus, Black will receive a salary of $500,000 a year for the next 3 years.
The bonus has sparked renewed criticism about the deal that earlier caused Nokia to quit the anti-Microsoft lobby group. Remaining CCIA members include Microsoft (former) arch enemies Sun Microsystems, Oracle and Yahoo.
Time heals all wounds, and a little money has certainly helped in speeding up the healing process.
November 29, 2004 at 09:38 PM | Permalink
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