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GM Authority

GM CEO Mary Barra Raked In $23.7M In 2020

General Motors CEO Mary Barra received over $23 million in compensation for her work in 2020 – this despite economic setbacks brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to SEC filings published last week, Barra received $23,657,987 in 2019 in pay for her services last year, up from $21,630,867 in 2019. This made the 59-year old the highest-paid executive of any of the Detroit Big Three for the second year in a row.

As The Detroit Free Press reports, earnings at GM include the employee’s base salary, along with discretionary bonuses, stock and option awards and performance-based bonuses. The figure also takes into account other compensation such as air travel and company vehicle programs, life insurance and contributions to the individual’s 401(k).

GM has said previously that 90 percent of Barra’s pay is “at risk” because it is tied to the company’s overall financial performance. Barra’s base salary last year was $1,995,000, which was down from $2,100,000 in 2019 and 2018.

The median GM employee salary in 2020 was $117,566, meaning Barra earns about 201 times more than the average GM worker. In 2019, Barra earned about 295 times more than the average GM worker.

GM introduced a wage reduction plan for its white-collar workforce last year as it faced financial pressure at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. This included a 20 percent pay deferment for the company’s 69,000 salaried workers, along with a 5 percent pay cut and 20 percent deferral for senior executives and a 20 percent deferral and 10 percent pay cut for its highest-paid senior officers. It also issued a 20 percent pay cut for its board of directors at the time. Barra took about one-third less compensation for a six-month period amid the pandemic before returning to her usual pay grade later in the year.

Ford CEO Jim Hackett, who has since been replaced by Jim Farley, received total compensation of $16.7 million from the automaker in 2020. Stellantis North America boss and former Fiat Chrysler CEO Mike Manley was paid $14 million last year.

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Sam loves to write and has a passion for auto racing, karting and performance driving of all types.

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Comments

  1. Cue the moaning and complaining in the comments. I wish GM made more enthusiast centric vehicles, but there is no denying that GM has been in a good spot financially under Berra’s leadership.

    Reply
    1. Please – stop bowing to gender. If she was a man she would be ripped, and rightly so. Under her stewardship GM has stunk in certain areas.

      Reply
      1. She took over to make GM an extremely profitable company. Building stock price. Working to make it a leader in the future of that will be automobiles.

        Pretty incredible leader if you ask me.

        All these performance/retro models that you want don’t help them make money. See Ford and Chrysler Company, er, Fiat, er Stellantis as proof.

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        1. She worked really hard building that stock price, flapping her gums that much must be exhausting. Meanwhile, the actual gm workers and employees are losing their jobs to China and Mexcio… Too bad. We should outsource Mary’s job.

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          1. We’ll be losing our jobs to her and the lefts electric car future. And so will Canada.

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            1. So what are you doing to improve and make yourself viable and marketable so you can land yourself an even better job?

              Or just sitting around waiting for the union to take care of you. Sounds like you’re the leftist if that’s the case.

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          2. Well she better hope she’s right about going all in on the electric future…huge gamble to do away with gas engines all together don’t you think

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          3. Nice to have a fat wallet!

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        2. Hmm, tell us about the Dodge Challenger and Charger- what about the Dodge truck line

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          1. Tony Mccurdy
            Stellantis killed Chrysler’s performance SRT division. With no new Demons or Hellcats, Dodge’s only future is on rental car lots.

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      2. if she was a man, we wouldn’t hear a peep from people like you.

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      3. bubbaq

        If you were a man, you wouldn’t be intimidated by powerful women.

        Reply
        1. I’m a woman and I’m not impressed by her. I think she makes women look BAD for getting to ruin a once great company just because of her gender.

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          1. It was Mary Barra that saved GM. She took over when the all male run company was tanking and needed a government load to save hundreds of thousands of jobs. It was when the ignition switch issue was in the headlines and she had to answer to congress. She also was the first woman CEO that entered an all male position since the auto industry began over a hundred years ago. As in any leadership role, you’re not going to make everyone happy. GM is in a far better place than it was 10 years ago.

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        2. “intimidated by powerful woman” did you learn that in your online woke class? Amazing talking points of a fool.

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          1. bubbaq
            Actually it was something your mom said. When I had her bent over the kitchen table.

            Reply
            1. You are a troll Peter G………..

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    2. Pretty hard not to be in a good spot after a bailout, all she had to do was coast. Currently, it’s a little more difficult to say lowercase gm is in a great spot. Their manufacturing is being largely outsourced as they continue to lose market share in key segments. If you recall right before the last bailout the stock was hyperinflated and they were trying to make a niche vehicle like the “hummer” seem like a savior. It’s Deja vu all over again.

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    3. GM has done well with some vehicles but they have a few problems. At the risk of angering some people here, I see a major problem with the latest push for EVs. Take a look at the new 2022 Bolt EUV. It can only charge at 55kw making it one of the slowest “fast charging” vehicles on the road today. I fail to see why gm added Supercruise — a roadtrip aid — to a vehicle that struggles to quickly charge on roadtrips. It’s clear their BEV2 platform is behind the curve and that the marketing blitz is an attempt to distract from this. Ultium is really where they’re pinning their hopes. It needs to be leaps and bounds ahead of BEV2.

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      1. It’s because B/C segment vehicles are low profit. Trying to make the Bolt a high price item and getting free government checks for it is a no-brainer way to try to get profits. The only problem is that it turns out BEV isn’t all that green or all that desirable… whoops. Meanwhile, the Japanese manufacturers are still having great success with their B/C segment vehicles and gm continues to lose market share.

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        1. BEV in the form of the Chevy Bolt isn’t profitable either.

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    4. She ruined the company forcing EVs onto America.

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      1. All she had to do was follow the free market demand. Instead she tried to force her agenda.

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  2. Well we went for decades of GM leaders that just kicked the can down the road with piss poor products till they retired. Many needed to kill divisions decades ago and allocate resources to the remaining divisions to make them what they should have been.

    But no they bleed money till they were so far gone bail out was the only way out.

    I don’t care if Mary is a he, she or it. Under her leadership the value of GM has grown greatly. Also the plans for the future have been regarded greatly. All that is left is proper execution of these plans. Time and sales will prove if they get this right.

    While we watch other automakers struggle and fail GM has navigated tough times with out the need to merge or suffer $10 stock prices.

    There was no coasting here. Mary, Mark and others had to make some tough calls and some have proven very wise. Some will need to wait to see how they come out. If this was old GM they would have made a Malibu a CTS.

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    1. They made the wrong call on microchips. GM is in the worst position of all manufacturers.

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      1. No one hits a home run every time at bat.

        All of the mfgs are in the crap box. But even with this GM is still posting profits due to everything they got right vs what many other are still getting wrong.

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      2. How so? GM has yet to idle any of their high profit SUV/Truck plants. Crosstown rival Ford had to stop F150 production. Looks like gm knows their business better than you do.

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  3. Thanks, Mary Thanks to you and your vision and hard work I have profited 3X off of GM stock in the last year, and could not be more excited to buy the Hummer SUT, and maybe even a Lyriq if you build one that has AWD, and over 500 HP.

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    1. Mary is that you?

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    2. Yes gM stock went up last year. But it was stagnant for the past 10 years while the market soared. It’s been a looser since gM Corp screwed all the pre LLC stockholders.
      Dump gM now.

      Reply
  4. Remember the (Cash For Clunkers Program). I can see another program like that coming soon. Cash For Gas – or something like that. Hang on to that gas beater you have; it could be worth 5K trade in value for a new Electric car.

    Reply
    1. Or… Crazy thought… you could just use it and not have a car payment.

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    2. Will be called, ‘Crushed ICE Program’.

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  5. Like presidents of the United States, it won’t be known for quite a while whether she was successful or not. Some presidents are loved in their times only to have history reveal their great shortcomings and blunders that cost us dearly. Others are hated while serving but history bears out their wisdom and true leadership and rewards them accordingly.

    I think Mary has shrunk gm and exited markets to get to greater profitability. This kind of leadership often pays initial dividends at the expense of the long-term growth and health of the company. Is she wise or a fool? Who knows, time will tell but gm is smaller because of her. Putting all the companies eggs in the EV basket could be the greatest blunder since Roger B. Smith’s reign or, it could be a utter stroke of brilliance that resurrects a dying company. We won’t know that for a while either. Thus, I think any arguments for or against Ms. Barra are premature at this juncture. Let historians record what she did and eventually render a verdict on her tenure.

    As for now, she is clearly overpaid as are most US executives; that’s for certain. And…..one would think with all that money she could lay off the black leather at the clearance rack at Kohl’s.

    Reply
    1. At least the LAST president EARNED his money trying to save gas and coal jobs and cars from the guillotine.
      Mary Antoinette Barra just puts bon bons in her mouth says “let them plug in”.

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      1. Layed off US workers can learn to clear land mines…

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  6. Most overpaid and overrated woman in business. CONGRATULATIONS!

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  7. To whose benefit are these kind of incendiary articles? What could possibly be the purpose here except to incite the uninformed?

    Barra is a powerhouse in the business world. She has been a tremendous asset to GM, and it is well documented that the company has prospered under her leadership. She didn’t get a spread and cover in Time Magazine for her winning personality. Her salary is well earned.

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  8. She must have a license to steel to make that kind of money.

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  9. POS overpaid by a factor of 10. She is making money selling GM assets and offshoring American jobs.
    GM is in trouble.
    She has to go before it’s too late.

    Reply
  10. While companies such as Toyota, Honda, and Hyundai/Kia continue relatively normal production of their vehicles, gm, and Chevrolet, in particular, have empty showrooms. Where I live, you can’t even find a new Silverado with a Federal Search Warrant. Where’s the vaunted new C8? The Camaro?

    Why is it that gm CEO didn’t have the same foresight as those other companies to stockpile critical components ahead of the severe shortages currently crippling manufacturing?

    Why is gm CEO hell-bent on shifting production away from ICE vehicles to EVs that nobody wants, and no one will buy until all the practicality problems plaguing EVs are solved?

    I do not care about gender, color, race, religion, political leanings, etc., but I DO I care that whomever is in the top chair at gm seems to be incompetent, and has led gm down the wrong path, at least at this time.

    And as far as gm’s “stock price,” that means nothing to gm employees thrown out of work due to management incompetence, and US factories being shut down and production moved to China.

    If gm CEO foresees a company that only builds EVs and in China factories, she can keep ’em; my long-standing purchase of gm vehicles over the past 50+ years will end.

    Reply
    1. Well if you were that sharp why did you not point it out to them what was going to happen.

      FYI not all dealers have a ton of cars. Subaru is hurting and many imports are selling cars that have been on storage lots and ships overseas.

      As for China they are the 800 pound gorilla in the corner. They make your life uncomfortable with them sitting there but if you ignore the, they will kill you.

      There are few automakers who could survive with out the market growth in China. If you choose not to serve it your competition will serve it and grow while you wither and die.

      China Is fighting WW3 economically and the rest of the world let it happen.

      Reply
  11. She’s a smart cookie. No one from what I’ve read or heard has called her out on her backtracking statements – ex: California should not determine emissions standards for themselves – after Trump lost she changed her tune- also GM will be total EV by 2035 – who is she playing to with that statement-what about vehicle segments GM no longer has vehicles for- ie: Cruze, Impala – the Koreans and Toyota have that market all to themselves she should have never been put in charge – just my 02 cents

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  12. The face of GM, WOOF, WOOF. Another Bill Mitchell…… not even close, where did they find this one? Diversity .. BS.

    Reply
  13. She’s overpaid , No one’s worth that kind of money unless they own the company that’s the problem with this country and big companies they think all the management is worth these extravagant salaries

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  14. The woke and deep state will always make millions…

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  15. When Barra took over as CEO in 2014, GM’s market cap was $56 billion. Today its $79 billion. A 30% increase in valuation in 6 years for a company as large as GM is fantastic. You can bash Barra all you want but stockholders should be thrilled with her.

    Reply
    1. That increase is literally just the rate of inflation of the DJIA, nothing too impressive really. As far as stockholders go, the ones that cash out now, like she did should be thrilled. I think those that hang onto their stock too long will be in for a rude awakening. They bout to get woke.

      Reply
      1. The cumulative rate of inflation since 2014 is 11.89%.

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        1. I said the DJIA, not the dollar… reading is fun.

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          1. It is, that’s why I post facts and not generalizations like most do here.

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  16. Does she get paid in Yuan?

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  17. After the current Camaro and Malibu die on the vine there will not be a single GM left that I’m interested in so as far as I’m concerned that is 23M more than she deserves. And judging by many fellow car enthusiasts I’m far from being alone. I was even semi considering the Nox or Terrain refresh but deleting the 2.0T killed that idea. The market share of this company will continue to lose share as she sheds more and more and puts all her eggs in the woke agenda basket.

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    1. I am the same way Joe. The Japanese and Koreans are making competitive, appealing daily drivers and lowercase gm is just doing… I actually don’t think they know what they’re doing.

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  18. Oh my, How many male anatomical parts did o’le Mary B have to ingest to get that kind of payday ? Hmmmmm

    Reply
  19. CEO compensation reported elsewhere online:
    Toyota $3.5 million,
    Daimler $1.6 million,
    Ferrari $453 thousand,
    Musk $32 billion (after 5 years, potentially)

    Reply
  20. GM loves cost cuts. Cut her by 23 million!!!

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    1. Mary Barra should be unallocated.

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  21. HEY Mary keep taking away American workers to china and Mexico ,keep disappointing Cadillac owners with poor headlights , cheap interior material , equinox burning oil engines that need to be replaced ,customers waiting for reimbursement for years ,, customers leaving to Imports because they are offering sedans . SHE is ruining this company disrespecting its workers and they’re customers

    Reply
  22. GM sells more vehicles in North America than either Ford or Stellantis (FCA) and is more profitable than either. That’s all that matters and is irrefutable.

    If you’re still buying GM vehicles and complaining about Barra, your actions don’t match your words, so the latter is b.s. And if you’re not buying GM vehicles, you’re criticizing for its own sake, aka whining. Either way, do is all a favor and take a vow of silence, aka stfu.

    Reply
    1. Wow,🥺 what you fail to see is GM is profit now from profit in the future and the leadership at GM is leading GM down a profit less road by their decisions- and as you noted they are profitable now, but could be even more profitable if they would just turn over market share to the competition. So, mister-go back in your mothers basement and STFU 😂

      Reply
  23. Need an aerospace engineer to replace botox barrs. Very overpaid!

    Reply

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