Income inequality is rising in America, and corporate boards are to blame.
That’s what I read into the comprehensive analysis of individual income tax returns by Bakija, Cole and Heim. The Washington Post has coverage of their work. The work is a damning indictment of the manner in which corporate boards have abdicated their responsibility towards shareholders to rein in excess corporate compensation. The compensation process is run entirely by alpha-CEOs and compensation consultants who understand which side their bread is buttered. The board is a rubber stamp.
The paper also throws cold water at the various excuses presented to justify sky-high executive compensation. High-paid sports professionals, doctors or lawyers are not nearly as numerous as high-paid executives.