Skift Take
Sonder and Vacasa, both of which face potential delistings in 2023, gave their CEOs pay packages worth $21 million and $13 million, respectively, over the coming years. As these things go, that's ample motivation to improve performance.
In monitoring online travel CEO compensation packages over the years, it's always interesting to see these leaders receive what may be looked at as lifetime achievement awards, a monetary "thank you." At long last, it's time to cash in.
In 2013, some observers might have been taken aback when Tripadvisor co-founder and then-CEO Steve Kaufer commanded total compensation of $39 million, only to be followed by another $48 million in 2017. That turned out to be small compared with Airbnb co-founder Brian Chesky's $120 million total compensation package in 2020. Even more dramatic was Expedia Group CEO Peter Kern's compensation package of close to $300 million in 2021.
The pay packages for 2022 are a tad smaller – and may seem outrageous to some.
The online travel boss with the largest award in 2022 was Booking Holdings CEO Glenn Fogel. He got close to $31 million, a 404:1 ratio to the median employee at the company.
Sonder's Francis Davidson, was number two, with $21.6 million, including $20.1 million in stock awards. Davidson co-founded the hospitality company, has served as CEO since 2014, and took th