Jack Welch
Company: General Electric (NYSE: GE)
Years as CEO: 1981-2001
Severance Package: $417 million
As chairman and CEO of General Electric from 1981 to 2001, "Neutron Jack" helped grow the value of the company from $13 billion to hundreds of billions of dollars. A lavish package of retirement perks, valued at $2.5 million a year, caused a scandal after it was revealed in 2002 divorce proceedings. Those perks "included luxuries such as the use of an $80,000-per-month Manhattan apartment owned by the company, court-side seats to the New York Knicks and U.S. Open, seating at Wimbledon, box seats at Red Sox and Yankees baseball games, country club fees, security services and restaurant bills," according to a 2012 report from GMI Ratings, which tracks corporate governance. Welch gave up those perks but still walked away with a retirement package worth well over $400 million.
