As Label Funds To RIAA Dry Up, Top Execs Still Make Over $1 Million

from the non-profit? dept

Just a few days ago, in mocking the MPAA/RIAA filing with the US’s IP Enforcement Coordinator, we noted that they mocked Kim Dotcom as being arrogant and wealthy, but ignored the fact that their own execs made a ton of money. We specifically called out RIAA boss Cary Sherman’s 2009 salary. At the time, I realized it was odd that we hadn’t seen any update on salaries, since they have to file these things publicly. Well, it turns out that the RIAA was just dragging its heels, and Torrentfreak highlighted the latest filing, noting mainly that the RIAA’s budget is shrinking drastically, as members are paying less (in part due to massive consolidation from the major labels).

That said, it doesn’t seem to have dampened the salaries the RIAA is paying its top execs. This report covers 2010, so it’s out of date. Mitch Bainwol is still there and Cary Sherman is the number two guy, rather than top dog as he is now. Still, if being rich and arrogant is evidence of someone up to no good, the RIAA’s top brass may have some explaining to do:

It certainly looks like nearly all of the RIAA’s top brass are either deeply embedded in the top 1% of earners or very close to the borderline (about $380k per year). Mitch Bainwol and Cary Sherman each made over $1 million. Neil Turkewitz, Mitch Glazier and Steve Marks all made over $600k. Considering how phenomenally unsuccessful the RIAA has been over the past decade, you’d think that its members could find cheaper execs to keep driving the organization into the ground. As TorrentFreak points out, membership dues dropped from $49.76 million in 2008 down to just $27.88 million in 2010. You’d think that money could be spent somewhat more effectively, rather than pining for a past where they were gatekeepers in control of the market.

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Companies: riaa

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Comments on “As Label Funds To RIAA Dry Up, Top Execs Still Make Over $1 Million”

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45 Comments
SolkeshNaranek says:

Money

It takes a lot of money to maintain that fairytale land where customers should only want what you care to provide.

It takes a lot of money to maintain that isolation bubble that shields you from the reality of your out of date and failing business model.

It takes a lot of money to keep the high polish on your rose colored glasses that let you pretend consumers don’t pretty much universally hate you and all you stand for.

It takes a lot of money to keep your conscience silent as you watch the artists get cheated at every possible opportunity.

It takes a lot of money to keep your spine from turning into a corkscrew as you twist and bend the truth about how your industry is failing due to piracy and “theft”.

It just takes a lot of money, and if you give them a chance they will tell you how much they deserve it… and they’ll do that with a straight face while looking you in the eye.

Anonymous Coward says:

Re: Re: Re:

if he does not need too, then why is he trying to hard to do it ??

their wages are really not that high either !!, me thinks Masnick is crying for the sake of crying.. probably because masnick could only dream of earning money like that,

If masnick thinks he could do the job better, why not apply for the job,, ?? I know.. because there is no way masnick would be able to run a business that makes any real profit..

how do you make your money again masnick ?? by being a professional winger ! and permanent leach on society..

Like many you cry about, they have achieved something, you can never expect to achieve, you know, respect, trust, ability to earn a decent wage, a job, or a direction in life.. so you spend your time in your twisted and bitter world, where you can wallow in your own crapulence.

Lowestofthekeys (profile) says:

Re: Re: Re: Re:

Trying hard? He’s reporting news, it’s not difficult to read this stuff online.

“Like many you cry about, they have achieved something, you can never expect to achieve, you know, respect, trust, ability to earn a decent wage, a job, or a direction in life.. “

You have an awesome sense of sarcasm, for a minute there I thought you were serious.

Anonymous Coward says:

Re: Re: Re: Re:

You know what? It’s really not anyone’s problem. Whenever issues like international customers not being served are brought up the argument is always, “It’s entertainment, you’ve no right to it! Serves you right for being born in the wrong country!”

So exactly why should I be concerned for the monetary welfare for something that is non-essential? You’re going to call me a pirate anyway.

That One Guy (profile) says:

Re: Just in case anyone would otherwise fall for this...

The problem isn’t so much the fact that there are people that make a lot, but rather to point out the hypocrisy being shown here.

These very same people who apparently take home a very decent wage, are the very same people who claimed that being rich and arrogant is the same as being guilty and/or a criminal; completely missing the fact that those two labels applied just as much to themselves as others(and more-so a lot of the time).

As for your ‘trying to once again sully their reputations?’ line I just can’t help but laugh, they do that far more effectively on their own, they certainly don’t need help from an outside source for that.

Anonymous Coward says:

Re: Re: Just in case anyone would otherwise fall for this...

“These very same people who apparently take home a very decent wage, are the very same people who claimed that being rich and arrogant is the same as being guilty and/or a criminal”

It’s called projecting. The RIAA execs are rich and arrogant, and they got that way mostly by being guilty and/or criminals. So when they see someone else that is rich and arrogant (like Mr. Dotcom), they automatically assume that person must be guilty and/or a criminal.

The idea that someone could become rich by providing a useful service or product that people want is completely foreign to the RIAA and MPAA.

anon says:

LOl at anonymous coward

LOL so you previously state that piracy is killing the industry , now you question how someone could site them making 5 billion and say they are a dying industry. I wonder what your excuse will be for getting tongue tied there.
If you only come on here to insult the writers maybe you should be more honest about it and just insult them, call them names and get it out of your system, i mean you obviously have a lot of hatred bottled up there from comments you have previously made.

I would stay away from here for a while, all that stress and anger building up inside you could cause health problems.

[citation needed or GTFO] says:

Re: LOl at anonymous coward

If you only come on here to insult the writers maybe you should be more honest about it and just insult them, call them names and get it out of your system, i mean you obviously have a lot of hatred bottled up there from comments you have previously made.

I think he’s done that already by using the words “Fuck off and die.”

Thomas (profile) says:

I thought..

the only purpose of the RIAA was to prosecute “file sharers” and large salaries for the executives and big bonuses whenever they “caught” file sharers?

Was there some other thing the RIAA was supposed to do? I heard a rumor that some money was given to the artists, but I never saw any proof. It sounded about on par with the Loch Ness monster; nothing but a crazy rumor.

Anonymous Coward says:

Re: Re:

Point being, why are these executives getting paid this much if they’ve been claiming that their industry dying? (For a decade now, at that!)

It being a drop in the ocean doesn’t affect the query. On the other hand, if RIAA executives are getting peanuts compared to other executives, perhaps entertainment isn’t that big an economic deal to begin with – which means (to no surprise) that the usual claims of piracy killing the economy are all nonsense.

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