In this episode of "We Fixed It, You're Welcome," the hosts tackle the controversial topic of executive compensation, focusing on Paramount Pictures and its former CEO Bob Bakish's $69.3 million severance package. The panel, including guest Erik Akutagawa, discusses the ethics of golden parachutes, their impact on employee morale, and potential solutions to align executive pay with company performance. They explore ideas such as performance-based vesting, clawback provisions, and linking executive outcomes to worker protections. The conversation delves into the broader implications of these practices across industries, touching on similar issues in sports and retail. The hosts propose structural reforms to create more accountability and fairness in executive compensation, while acknowledging the challenges of implementing such changes in the current corporate landscape.Disclaimer:A quick disclaimer. We are going into this somewhat cold and nothing we say should be construed as legal advice, financial advice or anything that would get us in trouble. These are our views and opinions. We're here to ask the kinds of questions everyone's thinking. Have an engaging conversation and maybe come to some conclusions that we feel are worth exploring.By the end, if we fixed it, you're welcome. All trademarks, IP and brand elements discussed are property of their respective owners.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Paramount's $69 Million Problem

Spotify

In this episode of "We Fixed It, You're Welcome," the hosts tackle the controversial topic of executive compensation, focusing on Paramount Pictures and its former CEO Bob Bakish's $69.3 million severance package. The panel, including guest Erik Akutagawa, discusses the ethics of golden parachutes, their impact on employee morale, and potential solutions to align executive pay with company performance. They explore ideas such as performance-based vesting, clawback provisions, and linking executive outcomes to worker protections. The conversation delves into the broader implications of these practices across industries, touching on similar issues in sports and retail. The hosts propose structural reforms to create more accountability and fairness in executive compensation, while acknowledging the challenges of implementing such changes in the current corporate landscape.Disclaimer:A quick disclaimer. We are going into this somewhat cold and nothing we say should be construed as legal advice, financial advice or anything that would get us in trouble. These are our views and opinions. We're here to ask the kinds of questions everyone's thinking. Have an engaging conversation and maybe come to some conclusions that we feel are worth exploring.By the end, if we fixed it, you're welcome. All trademarks, IP and brand elements discussed are property of their respective owners.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Armchair quarterbacking isn’t just for sports anymore. We’re taking the same approach to companies: what would you do in their shoes? Each episode, our lively panel will debate a new issue ripped from the headlines involving a different well-known company. Between our instincts, experiences, and unsolicited opinions, we may just come up with gold. At the end, we’ll critique ourselves and see how we did. If we fixed it, you’re welcome! Season 3 launched January 20, 2026. Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss a single episode!

We Fixed It, You're Welcome

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