The '90s was the slippery slope from managing expectations to managing earnings to outright fraud.

There's so many other founders — the main one being down the coast, with [Oracle founder] Larry Ellison — who have a great deal of money as well, but still pay themselves massive amounts by options every year.

Just within the last six months, these policies have spread pretty quickly. It's almost a proxy now for boardroom accountability.

I think it's a morale killer when you see it disclosed at some of these companies.

It's ridiculous. Part of being a citizen is paying taxes.

While these payments may seem eye-popping, it seems more closely aligned with the company's performance and is less likely to raise the ire of shareholders than in years past.