GEORGE LUCAS - LUCAS REMOVE $500,000 CAP ON CEO'S

LUCAS REMOVE $500,000 CAP ON CEO'S

George Lucas says he does not like the provision of the bailout program that caps the salaries of CEOs of companies receiving government funds at $500,000. In an interview with CNSNews.com, a unit of the conservative Media Research Center, Lucas said, "I think it would be a good thing for shareholders to unite and say, 'We are not interested in paying our executives this much money.' That would work. But it's not the government's job to do that. It's the stockholders job." Not that the question affects Hollywood, however, Lucas noted. "Well, the difference is Hollywood isn't asking for a bailout," he said. And even if it did, it wouldn't affect him. "I don't make that much money [as a CEO] -- not by a long shot. ... $500,000 a year -- man, that's a lot of money. ... I have to have people come to the movies, and then when they go to the movies, I get my nickel. I don't get a giant salary." A Lucasfilm spokesperson explained later that Lucas is paid a fee for his work as a director and then collects a percentage of a film's gross.

20/02/2009