Internet CFOs Get More Equity, Less Cash.

Their salaries and bonuses may be modest in contrast to top-tier pay in traditional corporations, but CFOs of Internet-related enterprises are poised to build significant personal wealth through generous stock option programs, says a new executive compensation study by William M. Mercer.

The analysis, based on public information released between 1996 and 1999 by 32 publicly traded Internet-related companies (excluding hardware and software companies), finds the firms have a median 15.7 percent of their total common shares outstanding set aside for stock-based compensation, including options and restricted grants. This is [TABULAR DATA OMITTED] considerably higher than the 10.7-percent median share reserve maintained by...