Lee Raymond through the eye of a needle.

Those mega-capitalists are up to it again.
My question is "Is Lee Raymond welcome in heaven?"
What do you think?

[from 
MarketWatch] -- Lee Raymond, the chairman and chief executive officer of 
Exxon Mobil Corp., earned $144,573 for each day of the 13 years he served at 
the top of the oil company, according to a report in Saturday's New York Times.
Raymond, who retired from Exxon in December, received more than $686 million 
from 1993 to 2005, according to an analysis done for the paper by an independent 
compensation consultant. 

Apparently upon that retirement the following occurred.

[from abcnews.com]
April 14, 2006 - Soaring gas prices are squeezing most Americans at the pump, 
but at least one man isn't complaining.  Last year, Exxon made the biggest profit 
of any company ever, $36 billion, and its retiring chairman appears to be reaping 
the benefits. 
Exxon is giving Lee Raymond one of the most generous retirement packages in history, 
nearly $400 million, including pension, stock options and other perks, such as a 
$1 million consulting deal, two years of home security, personal security, a car 
and driver, and use of a corporate jet for professional purposes.

Last November, when he was still chairman of Exxon, Raymond told Congress that 
gas prices were high because of global supply and demand.
"We're all in this together, everywhere in the world," he testified.

Exxon corporate documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission 
that revealed Raymond's retirement deal and his $51.1 million paycheck in 2005. 
That's equivalent to $141,000 a day, nearly $6,000 an hour. It's almost more 
than five times what the CEO of Chevron made.

At least one politician wonders if such a mega-retirement package is necessary.

[from 
abcnews.com]
Sen. Byron Dorgan said he wants Exxon Mobil officials to appear at a Senate 
Commerce Committee hearing to explain how the corporation "justifies" giving 
its former boss, Lee Raymond, such a huge retirement package.

Exxon Mobil has defended Raymond's retirement package, saying it was pegged to 
the rise in the company's profit and market capitalization that occurred during 
his tenure. 

Even some Exxon shareholders are critical.

[from abcnews.com]
Some Exxon shareholders are now trying to pass resolutions criticizing the 
company's executive pay policies. The company is urging other shareholders 
to vote against those resolutions.

Meanwhile, in an ongoing court case involving Exxon Oil, the company
isn't so quick to part with money.

[from nbc11.com regarding Jan 27, 2006 Court Hearing on
the Exxon Valdez oil spill of 1989,] 
[yes, it's still under appeal]

Attorney David Oesting said the hearing should be the final argument before the 
Appeals Court over punitive damages.  Plaintiff Steve Vanek, a Ninilchik commercial 
fisherman, is not expecting a settlement soon.  "It will be another year or a 
year and a half before that bloody 9th Circuit makes a decision," Vanek predicted. 
"I won't count on it until I see the check."

It's impossible to predict when the Appeals Court will issue a decision, Oesting 
said. He also expects Exxon to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.  "I don't know 
if the Supreme Court will choose to get involved," Oesting said.

Each year fewer fishermen, Native subsistence gatherers and other plaintiffs are 
still alive to track the court case. Oesting said he believes that around 3,000 
of the plaintiffs have died while waiting for the (4.5) billions in punitive damages 
a jury first ordered Exxon, now Exxon Mobil, to pay in 1994.  More than 30,000 
plaintiffs from oiled areas remain, Oesting said.

The Exxon public affairs office referred inquiries to the company's Web site. 
The site offers a lengthy defense of the company position.

"Despite complaints by the plaintiffs, which are designed to sway public opinion, 
Exxon Mobil is exercising a fundamental right to appeal these damages, a right 
to which every American individual and company is entitled," the Web site said.

But at least the Exxon board of directors made sure Lee Raymond got HIS money.
Birds of a feather.