E*Trade Financial Corp (ETFC)

siebertl (< 20) Submitted: 4/13/2009 12:49:26 PM : Start Price: $1.55 ETFC Score: -23.61

Not that these bankers actually know any more than the rest of us, but the ETFC CEO, who was Vice Chair of JP Morgan, requested that all of his 2008 and 2009 incentive compensation for ETFC be in the form of equity. Whether he is right or wrong in this case is yet to be seen, but you can be certain he has better insight into the company than any Fool here, has 30 years in banking, and has proven he knows how to make himself rich.

On one hand, equity-based compensation can be lauded as selfless and benevolent behavior toward a cash-strapped company down on its sub-prime luck. But on the other hand, I see it as someone acting exactly in line with market incentives. If he interpreted the risks correctly, I reckon he stands to make many tens of millions (and have a hero's legacy) if he does his job right, and that's far more than any salary they could give him. Steve Jobs showed up at a company a few years back and did something similar, I believe.

Think of what it would take for you to show up at a 20-yr-old beleaguered company and, after looking through their books and talking to all your expert colleagues and advisors, decide to bookend your long and notable career by working around the clock for two straight years for no salary when you are already wealthy.